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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.25.3

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 25: Rāma describes the hardships of forest life. Rāma describes the forest’s hunger, exposure, dangerous animals and tapasvin hardships, Sītā remains determined to accompany him

In the sequence: Rāma asks Sītā to reconsider for her own welfare

2.25.3

sīte yathā tvāṃ vakṣyāmi tathā kāryaṃ tvayābale
vane doṣā hi bahavo vadatas tān nibodha me

Sītā, as I shall tell you, so must you act, weak one; for there are many hardships in the forest—learn them from me as I speak.

Words: sīte — O Sītā; yathā tvāṃ vakṣyāmi — as I shall tell you; tathā kāryaṃ — so is it to be done; tvayābale — by you, weak one; vane — in the forest; doṣā hi bahavo — for many are the faults; vadatas tān — those, as I tell them; nibodha me — learn from me

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.