Shloka 2.46.5
तमसातीरवासः — Night on the Bank of the Tamasa and the Stratagem to Elude the Citizens
अनुरक्ता हि मनुजा राजानं बहुभिर्गुणैः।त्वां च मां च नरव्याघ्र शत्रुघ्न भरतौ तथा।।2.46.5।।
muhūrtaṃ tvaritaṃ gatvā nivartaya rathaṃ punaḥ | yathā na vidyuḥ paurā māṃ tathā kuru samāhitaḥ ||2.46.31||
“Go swiftly for a short while, then turn the chariot back again; act with full attention so that the citizens do not learn where I have gone.”
O best of men! because of our many virtues, the people (of Ayodhya) are indeed loyal to the king, to you, to me and to Satrughna and Bharata, too.
Dharma includes preventing needless suffering: Rama’s careful plan aims to avoid confrontation and mass grief, preserving civic peace.
Rama orders a brief northward movement and a return, creating confusion so the people cannot track their true route into exile.
Self-control and clarity of purpose—Rama gives precise, calm instructions to achieve a compassionate outcome.