Shloka 11
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम्
The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
एषा गोदावरी सौम्य किंचिन्न प्रति भाषते।किं नु लक्ष्मण वक्ष्यामि समेत्य जनकं वचः।।।।मातरं चैव वैदेह्या विना तामहमप्रियम्।
eṣā godāvarī saumya kiñcin na pratibhāṣate | kiṃ nu lakṣmaṇa vakṣyāmi sametya janakaṃ vacaḥ || mātaraṃ caiva vaidehyā vinā tām aham apriyam ||
“Wahai Laksmana yang lembut, Godavari ini tidak menjawab sedikit pun. Apa kata-kata duka yang harus kuucapkan saat bertemu Raja Janaka—dan juga ibu Sita—bila aku datang tanpa Vaidehi? Itu amat menyakitkan bagiku.”
O handsome Lakshmana! this Godavari does not at all respond. How can I go to Janaka and my mother without Sita and break this unhappy news?
FAQs
Dharma is accountability to family and truth (satya): Rāma foresees the moral burden of facing Janaka and Sītā’s mother, compelled to speak painful truth if Sītā is not found.
Rāma laments that even the Godāvarī gives no clue, and he imagines the consequences of returning to Mithilā’s elders without Sītā.
Integrity and familial responsibility—Rāma measures his actions against obligations to elders and to truthful speech.