Shloka 2.28.22
सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः — Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile
द्रुमाः कण्टकिनश्चैव कुशा: काशाश्च भामिनि।वने व्याकुलशाखाग्रास्तेन दुःखतरं वनम्।।2.28.22।।
drumāḥ kaṇṭakinaś caiva kuśāḥ kāśāś ca bhāmini |
vane vyākula-śākhāgrās tena duḥkhataraṃ vanam ||2.28.22||
O fair one, in the forest there are thorny trees, kuśa grass and kāśa reeds, and treetops whose branches are tangled; therefore life in the forest is exceedingly difficult.
O lovely Sita! there are thorny trees with branches on the top interlaced with one another. There are kusa grass and reeds. So forest life is very hard.
Dharma-based guidance is grounded in reality: one should not choose a path (like exile) without understanding its concrete hardships.
Rāma continues detailing the forest terrain—thorny growth and tangled thickets—to persuade Sītā to remain safe.
Responsibility—Rāma tries to shield Sītā by truthful, detailed counsel.