Shloka 3.64.16
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम् — The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
तांस्तु दृष्ट्वा नरव्याघ्रो राघवः प्रत्युवाच ह।।।।क्व सीतेति निरीक्षन्वै बाष्पसंरुद्धया दृशा।
tāṃs tu dṛṣṭvā naravyāghro rāghavaḥ pratyuvāca ha | kva sīteti nirīkṣan vai bāṣpasaṃruddhayā dṛśā ||
Seeing them, Rāghava—the tiger among men—questioned them, peering through eyes choked with tears: “Where is Sītā?”
With his vision blurred by tears, Rama, the best among men, looked at them and asked them 'Where is Sita'?
Dharma is compassionate urgency grounded in truth: even in tears, Rāma seeks factual direction—‘where’—so that right action can follow.
Rāma directly questions the deer, believing they may indicate the route of Sītā’s abduction.
Tenderness without weakness—Rāma’s tears coexist with leadership and decisive inquiry.