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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.67.21

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 67: Story of Kabandha. A ṛṣi’s curse and Indra’s thunderbolt produced his deformed body, he asks for cremation to restore his discernment and name a helpful ally

In the sequence: Rāma explains that Rāvaṇa carried Sītā away but that they do not know his appearance, home, or strength → he offers to gather dry wood and perform the cremation, asking Kabandha for whatever information he has

3.67.21

śokārtānām anāthānām evaṃ viparidhāvatām
kāruṇyaṃ sadṛśaṃ kartum upakāre ca vartatām

“It is fitting to show compassion on us, who, grief-stricken and forlorn, thus run about (in search), and who stand ready to requite the kindness.

Words: śokārtānām — of the grief-stricken; anāthānām — of the forlorn, protectorless; evaṃ — thus; viparidhāvatām — of (us) running about; kāruṇyaṃ — compassion; sadṛśaṃ — fitting, suitable; kartum — to show, do; upakāre — in requiting the kindness, in service; ca — and; vartatām — of (us) abiding, standing ready

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.