Shloka 2.95.14
मन्दाकिनीनदीदर्शनम् (The Vision of the Mandākinī at Citrakūṭa)
सखीवच्च विगाहस्व सीते मन्दाकिनीं नदीम्।कमलान्यवमज्जन्ती पुष्कराणि च भामिनि।।।।
vidhūtakaluṣaiḥ siddhais tapodamaśamānvitaiḥ | nityavikṣobhitajalāṃ vigāhasva mayā saha ||
Plunge with me into this river, whose waters are ever stirred by the siddhas—purified of all taint and endowed with austerity, self-restraint, and serenity.
O lovely Sita, like a companion plunge into this river Mandakini, submerging the red and white lotuses, and enjoy sporting.
Dharma is purification through disciplined life: association with tapas, dama, and śama signifies that holiness is maintained by self-control and serenity.
Rāma invites Sītā to bathe in the Mandākinī, describing it as sanctified by the presence and practices of siddhas.
Reverence and spiritual orientation—Rāma treats the forest not as deprivation but as a sacred space for right living.