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 ||
«ឱ លក្ខ្មណ៍អ្នកសុភាព! ទន្លេគោទាវរីនេះមិនឆ្លើយសូម្បីតែបន្តិច។ ពេលខ្ញុំទៅជួបព្រះបិតាជនក—ហើយមាតារបស់សីតាផង—ខ្ញុំនឹងនិយាយពាក្យសោកសៅអ្វី ប្រសិនបើខ្ញុំទៅដោយគ្មានវៃទេហី? វាជារឿងមិនគួរចិត្តយ៉ាងខ្លាំងសម្រាប់ខ្ញុំ។»
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.