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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.57.2

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

3.57.2

tam uvāca kimarthaṃ tvam āgato 'pāsya maithilīm
yadā sā tava viśvāsād vane viharitā mayā

He said to him: For what reason have you come, abandoning Maithilī, when she was left by me in the forest through trust in you?

Words: tam — to him; uvāca — said; kimarthaṃ — for what reason; tvam — you; āgato — have come; 'pāsya — having abandoned; maithilīm — Maithilī (Sītā); yadā — when; sā — she; tava — in you, your; viśvāsād — through trust; vane — in the forest; viharitā — was left, entrusted; mayā — by 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.