Shloka 3.64.55
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम् — The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
मृदुं लोकहिते युक्तं दान्तं करुणवेदिनम्।।।।निर्वीर्य इति मन्यन्ते नूनं मां त्रिदशेश्वराः।
mṛduṃ lokahite yuktaṃ dāntaṃ karuṇavedinam | nirvīrya iti manyante nūnaṃ māṃ tridaśeśvarāḥ ||
Surely the gods think of me as gentle—devoted to the world’s good, self-restrained, compassionate—yet as one without power.
The gods will certainly consider me a man engaged in the welfare of the world, a man of self-restraint and compassion, but at the same time a weak man.
Dharma is not mere gentleness; it must be backed by effective protection. The verse pushes toward the kṣatriya-duty to pair compassion with strength against adharma.
Rāma interprets the calamity as a sign that even the gods may be underestimating his power, intensifying his resolve to act.
Moral seriousness—Rāma refuses a reputation of weakness when justice and protection are at stake.