Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 69: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa Meet Kabandha
Text 3.69.43
वदतं कार्यमिह वां किमर्थं चागतौ युवाम्।
इमं देशमनुप्राप्तौ क्षुधार्तस्येह तिष्ठतः॥
vadataṁ kāryam iha vāṁ kim-arthaṁ cāgatau yuvām
imaṁ deśam anuprāptau kṣudhārtasyeha tiṣṭhataḥ
vadatam = tell [me]; kāryam = what want to do; iha = here in the forest; vām = both of You; kim-artham = why; ca = and; āgatau = have come; yuvām = both of You; imam = in this; deśam = land; anuprāptau = You have arrived; kṣudhā-ārtasya = afflicted by hunger; iha = here; tiṣṭhataḥ = [just] for me who have been standing.
Tell [me] what both of You want to do here in the forest and why both of You have come. You have arrived in this land [just] for me who have been standing here, afflicted by hunger.
The second line indicates that Kabandha intended to say, “Actually both of You had no need to come to this forest. On the other hand, [by Your arrival here] You have fulfilled a need of mine!”
He then anticipated that Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa might ask, “What is Our loss in coming here?” Therefore, Kabandha spoke as follows.