Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 70: The Fall of Kabandha
Text 3.70.2
तिष्ठतः किंनु मां दृष्ट्वा क्षुधार्तं क्षत्रियर्षभौ।
आहारार्थं तु सन्दिष्टौ दैवेन गतचेतसौ॥
tiṣṭhataḥ kiṁ nu māṁ dṛṣṭvā kṣudhārtaṁ kṣatriya-rṣabhau
āhārārthaṁ tu sandiṣṭau daivena gata-cetasau
tiṣṭhataḥ = and standing [there]; kim nu = what is the use of; mām = at me; dṛṣṭvā = looking; kṣudhā-ārtam = I am afflicted by hunger; kṣatriya-ṛṣabhau = O best of kṣatriyas; āhāra-artham tu = as my food; sandiṣṭau = has sent You; daivena = providence; gata-cetasau = and because both of You are senseless.
O best of kṣatriyas, what is the use of looking at me and standing [there]? I am afflicted by hunger and because both of You are senseless, providence has sent You as my food.
In Kabandha’s opinion, it was useless for Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa to stand there. He thought that They were [actually] frightened of him [and so] it was useless [for them to just stand there]—there was no way They could escape from this life crisis.