Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 71: Kabandha’s Past Life
Text 3.71.28
अदग्धस्य तु विज्ञातुं शक्तिरस्ति न मे प्रभो।
राक्षसं तं महावीर्यं सीता येन हृता तव॥
adagdhasya tu vijñātuṁ śaktir asti na me prabho
rākṣasaṁ taṁ mahā-vīryaṁ sītā yena hṛtā tava
adagdhasya tu = as long as I haven’t been burnt; vijñātum = of getting to know; śaktiḥ asti na me = I will be incapable; prabho = O Lord; rākṣasam = rākṣasa; tam = that; mahā-vīryam = of great strength; sītā = wife; yena = who; tava = Your; hṛtā = abducted.
O Lord, as long as I haven’t been burnt, I will be incapable of getting to know that rākṣasa of great strength who abducted Your wife.
Kabandha states the reason for this in the next verse.