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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.56.10

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 56: Return to the empty hut. Rāma imagines Sītā’s loss and its consequences, hurries back with Lakṣmaṇa and finds their dwelling deserted

In the sequence: he imagines his own death, Kausalyā's further suffering, and Kaikeyī's satisfaction → he says he cannot live if Sītā does not greet him at the hermitage

3.56.10

yadi mām āśramagataṃ vaidehī nābhibhāṣate
punaḥ prahasitā sītā vinaśiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇa

If, when I reach the hermitage, Vaidehī with her sweet smile does not speak to me again, I shall perish, Lakṣmaṇa.

Words: yadi — if; mām — me; āśramagataṃ — come to the hermitage; vaidehī — Vaidehī; nābhibhāṣate — does not address; punaḥ — again; prahasitā — smiling; sītā — Sītā; vinaśiṣyāmi — I shall perish; lakṣmaṇa — Lakṣmaṇa

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.