Shloka 3.64.4
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम् — The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
कं नु वा देशमापन्ना वैदेही क्लेशनाशिनी।।।।न ह्यहं वेद तं देशं यत्र सा जनकात्मजा।
paśya lakṣmaṇa vaidēhyāḥ śīrṇāḥ kanakabindavaḥ | bhūṣaṇānāṃ hi saumitre mālyāni vividhāni ca || 3.64.39 ||
Behold, Lakṣmaṇa—here lie shattered golden fragments from Vaidehī’s ornaments, and also, O son of Sumitrā, garlands of many kinds.
Where could Vaidehi, destroyer of sorrow, go? I wonder. I am unable to trace the spot where the daughter of Janaka could be found.
Dharma includes truthful recognition of reality: Rāma points to concrete signs, grounding his response in evidence rather than speculation.
Rāma identifies broken ornaments and garlands on the ground, indicating Sītā was forcibly taken and struggled at this location.
Attentiveness and discernment: Rāma reads the scene carefully to guide righteous action.