Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 29, Shloka 24
सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः
Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest
चिन्तयन्तीं तथा तां तु निवर्तयितुमात्मवान्।ताम्रोष्ठीं स तदा सीतां काकुत्स्थो बह्वसान्त्वयत्।।।।
cintayantīṃ tathā tāṃ tu nivartayitum ātmavān | tāmrōṣṭhīṃ sa tadā sītāṃ kākutstho bahv asāntvayat ||
Melihatnya demikian bersedih, Kākutstha yang berhati teguh lalu menghibur Sītā—yang berbibirmemerah tembaga—dengan banyak cara, untuk membujuknya agar mengurungkan niat.
O scion of the Raghu race! antelopes, lions, elephants, tigers, sarabhas, birds, srimaras and other wild beasts wandering in the forest have not seen your beauty before. Now on seeing you, they will flee away. In fact, who will not be afraid of seeing an object of fear?.
FAQs
Dharma includes compassionate speech and emotional care: even when making a duty-bound decision, one must console and protect the afflicted.
After Sītā breaks down in grief, Rāma responds with self-control and tries repeatedly to comfort her and dissuade her from going.
Rāma’s self-mastery (ātma-vattā) and compassion: he balances firmness about danger with tenderness toward Sītā’s pain.