Shloka 3.6.8
षष्ठस्सर्गः — तपस्विरक्षणे राजधर्मोपदेशः (Sarga 6: The Sages’ Appeal and Instruction on Royal Duty)
त्वमिक्ष्वाकुकुलस्यास्य पृथिव्याश्च महारथ।प्रधानश्चासि नाथश्च देवानां मघवानिव।।।।
yatnān mṛgayamāṇas tu nāsasāda vane priyām |
śokaraktekṣaṇaḥ śokād unmatta iva lakṣyate || 3.60.10 ||
Though searching with every effort, he did not find his beloved in the forest; his eyes reddened by grief, he appeared, from sorrow, like one driven mad.
O great charioteer you are the lord of the Ikshvaku race and of the world just like Indra, chief among the gods.
Even the righteous experience overwhelming grief; dharma does not erase emotion, but demands right action despite emotional collapse.
After Sītā’s disappearance, Rāma searches the forest urgently but fails to find her, and his sorrow becomes visibly extreme.
Rāma’s deep marital fidelity and love—his ‘priyā’ is central, and his grief underscores unwavering commitment.