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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.56.7
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
3.56.7
sītānimittaṃ saumitre mṛte mayi gate tvayi
kaccit sakāmā sukhitā kaikeyī sā bhaviṣyati
O son of Sumitrā, if I die on account of Sītā and you too are gone, will that Kaikeyī have her wish fulfilled and be happy?
Words: sītānimittaṃ — on account of Sītā; saumitre — O son of Sumitrā; mṛte — when (I am) dead; mayi — when I (am gone); gate — when gone; tvayi — you (being gone); kaccit — perhaps?; sakāmā — with wish fulfilled; sukhitā — happy; kaikeyī — Kaikeyī; sā — she; bhaviṣyati — will become
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.