Shloka 3.64.7
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम् — The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
भूतानि राक्षसेन्द्रेण वधार्हेण हृतामिति।न तां शशंसू रामाय तथा गोदावरी नदि।।।।
bhūtāni rākṣasendreṇa vadhārheṇa hṛtām iti | na tāṃ śaśaṃsū rāmāya tathā godāvarī nadī ||
Even the beings of nature—and likewise the river Godāvarī—did not tell Rāma that she had been carried off by the rākṣasa-lord, one fit to be slain.
Like the elements of Nature, river Godavari did not disclose Rama that Sita had been abducted by the king of demons who deserved death.
It raises the tension between satya (truth-telling) and restraint: even when truth exists, it may remain unspoken in moments of overwhelming grief and cosmic disturbance, highlighting the complexity of dharmic speech.
Rāma searches for Sītā and looks to the surroundings for answers, but nature (including the Godāvarī) does not reveal the abduction.
Rāma’s earnest seeking and reliance on truthful signs; the scene also emphasizes the world’s stunned silence in the face of adharma.