Araṇya Kāṇḍa 57: Lakṣmaṇa explains his departure · 3.57.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.57.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 57: Lakṣmaṇa explains his departure. He recounts Sītā’s accusations after the false cry, Rāma insists that her harsh words should not have overridden his order

In the sequence: The account returns to the brothers' conversation on the path: Rāma asks why Lakṣmaṇa abandoned the responsibility entrusted to him

3.57.1

athāśramād upāvṛttam antarā raghunandanaḥ
paripapraccha saumitriṃ rāmo duḥkhārditaḥ punaḥ

Then Rāma, the delight of Raghu, afflicted with grief, on the way questioned Saumitri again, who had turned back from the hermitage.

Words: athāśramād — then, from the hermitage; upāvṛttam — (who had) turned back; antarā — on the way, midway; raghunandanaḥ — the delight of Raghu (Rāma); paripapraccha — questioned, asked; saumitriṃ — Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa); rāmo — Rāma; duḥkhārditaḥ — afflicted with grief; punaḥ — again

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.