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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.8.28

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 8: Story of the tapasvin’s sword. Sītā describes how guarding Indra’s weapon corrupted a peaceful ṛṣi and warns Rāma against violence without enmity

In the sequence: she praises dharma as the source of lasting well-being and asks him to consider her words with Lakṣmaṇa, then decide for himself.

3.8.28

nityaṃ śucimatiḥ saumya cara dharmaṃ tapovane
sarvaṃ hi viditaṃ tubhyaṃ trailokyam api tattvataḥ

Ever pure of mind, gentle one, practise dharma in the penance-grove; for the whole of the three worlds is known to you truly.

Words: nityaṃ — ever, constantly; śucimatiḥ — pure of mind; saumya — O gentle one; cara — practise, follow; dharmaṃ — dharma; tapovane — in the penance-grove; sarvaṃ — all; hi — for, indeed; viditaṃ — known; tubhyaṃ — to you; trailokyam — the three worlds; api — even; tattvataḥ — truly, in essence

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.