Shloka 4.17.50
वालिवधः — Vālī’s Fall and Dharma-Accusation (Kiṣkindhā Sarga 17)
न्यस्तां सागरतोये वा पाताले वापि मैथिलीम्।आनयेयं तवादेशाच्छ्वेतामश्वतरीमिव।।
nyastāṃ sāgaratoye vā pātāle vāpi maithilīm |
ānayeyam tavādeśāc chvetām aśvatarīm iva ||
Even if Maithilī were hidden in the waters of the ocean, or even in Pātāla, I would bring her back at your command—just as Śvetā was brought back from Aśvatarī.
'Even if she were hidden in the waters of the ocean or in the underworld, I would have brought her by your order like Sweta to Aswatari or Hayagriva. (Hayagriva, an incarnation of Visnu brought Vedas stolen by demons, Madhu and Kaitabha from Patala or the netherworld)
Rama frames his action as obedience to rightful command and pledged duty: even impossible obstacles (ocean or Pātāla) would not deter him from fulfilling what dharma requires—keeping one’s word and doing what is just.
The allusion functions as a truth-claim (satya) and an assurance: Rama asserts that, given a legitimate order, he would retrieve Sītā from any hidden place, emphasizing steadfastness, reliability, and moral resolve.