Araṇya Kāṇḍa 60: Traces of Sītā’s abduction · 3.60.2 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.60.1
Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 60: Traces of Sītā’s abduction. Flowers, footprints, blood and chariot wreckage suggest a struggle, Rāma’s uncertainty turns to threats against the whole world
In the sequence: Rāma sends Lakṣmaṇa to check whether Sītā is gathering lotuses at the Godāvarī
3.60.1
sa dīno dīnayā vācā lakṣmaṇaṃ vākyam abravīt
śīghraṃ lakṣmaṇa jānīhi gatvā godāvarīṃ nadīm
api godāvarīṃ sītā padmāny ānayituṃ gatā
Wretched, in a wretched voice he spoke this word to Lakṣmaṇa: “Quickly, Lakṣmaṇa, go to the Godāvarī river and find out whether perhaps Sītā has gone to the Godāvarī to fetch lotuses.”
Words: sa — he; dīno — wretched, dejected; dīnayā — in a wretched; vācā — voice; lakṣmaṇaṃ — to Lakṣmaṇa; vākyam — the word; abravīt — spoke; śīghraṃ — quickly; lakṣmaṇa — O Lakṣmaṇa; jānīhi — find out, know; gatvā — having gone; godāvarīṃ — to the Godāvarī; nadīm — river; api — whether, perhaps; godāvarīṃ — to the Godāvarī; sītā — Sītā; padmāny — lotuses; ānayituṃ — to fetch, bring; gatā — has gone
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.