Shloka 2.78.2
अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः — Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint (Mantharā Episode)
गतिर्य स्सर्वभूतानां दुःखे किं पुनरात्मनः।स राम स्सत्त्वसम्पन्नः स्त्रिया प्रव्राजितो वनम्।।।।
gatir yaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ duḥkhe kiṁ punar ātmanaḥ |
sa rāmaḥ sattvasampannaḥ striyā pravrājito vanam ||
How could Rāma—the final refuge of all beings—not be able to protect himself in his hour of sorrow? Yet that very Rāma, steadfast and rich in virtue, has been driven into the forest by a woman.
Couldn't the mighty Rama who is the ultimate refuge of all beings protect himself in his own distress? That Rama has been exiled to the forest by a woman.
The verse highlights the tension between moral authority and personal suffering: even the one who shelters others (Rāma) endures hardship without abandoning dharma, implying that righteousness is proven under adversity.
After Rāma’s exile, emotions flare in the royal household; Śatrughna expresses shock and indignation that Rāma has been sent to the forest due to Kaikeyī’s influence.
Rāma’s sattva (steadfast moral strength): he remains the ‘refuge of beings’ even while personally afflicted, suggesting inner integrity rather than mere power.