Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 71: Kabandha’s Past Life
Text 3.71.22
नाममात्रं तु जानामि न रूपं तस्य रक्षसः।
निवासं वा प्रभावं वा वयं तस्य न विद्महे॥
nāma-mātraṁ tu jānāmi na rūpaṁ tasya rakṣasaḥ
nivāsaṁ vā prabhāvaṁ vā vayaṁ tasya na vidmahe
nāma-mātram = only his name; tu = but; jānāmi = I know; na = not; rūpam = about his form; tasya = about that; rakṣasaḥ = rākṣasa’s; nivāsam vā = residence; prabhāvam = prowess; vā = or; vayam = we; tasya = his; na = not; vidmahe = do know.
I only know his name, but not about his form. We do not know about that rākṣasa’s residence or his prowess.1
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhāva-dīpa: vayam iti asmado dvayoś ca iti bahu-vacanam.
Śrī Rāma intended to say, “On the words of a trustworthy person, I only know the name [of Sītā’s abductor].”