Valmiki Ramayana 2.28.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 2
सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः · Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile
सान्त्वयित्वा पुनस्तां तु बाष्पदूषितलोचनाम् ।
निवर्तनार्थे धर्मात्मा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥२॥
sāntvayitvā punas tāṃ tu bāṣpa-dūṣita-locanām |
nivartanārthe dharmātmā vākyam etad uvāca ha ||2||
Having consoled Sītā, whose eyes were clouded with tears, the righteous-souled Rāma spoke these words again, intending to dissuade her from following him to the forest.
Righteous Rama consoled Sita whose eyes were blurred with tears, and in order to dissuade her (from going to the forest) said again:
FAQs
Dharma is expressed as compassionate responsibility: Rāma’s righteousness includes protecting Sītā from foreseeable suffering, even while he himself accepts hardship for duty.
Sītā insists on accompanying Rāma to exile; Rāma, after consoling her, resumes his attempt to dissuade her by describing the forest’s rigors.
Rāma’s compassion and moral steadiness (dharmātmatā): he speaks gently yet firmly, guided by duty and concern.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.