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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.60.8
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 himself questions the river → the narrative says that the Godāvarī knows of the abduction but remains silent from fear of Rāvaṇa, despite other spirits urging it to speak
3.60.8
tataḥ pracoditā bhūtaiḥ śaṃsāsmai tāṃ priyām iti
na ca sābhyavadat sītāṃ pṛṣṭā rāmeṇa śocitā
Then, urged by the spirits, “Tell him of that beloved one!” — yet, though questioned by Rāma, the grieving river did not speak of Sītā.
Words: tataḥ — then; pracoditā — urged, impelled; bhūtaiḥ — by the spirits; śaṃsāsmai — ‘tell him’; tāṃ — that; priyām — beloved one; iti — thus; na — not; ca — and; sābhyavadat — she spoke; sītāṃ — of Sītā; pṛṣṭā — questioned; rāmeṇa — by Rāma; śocitā — grieving, sorrowful
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.