तथा ब्रुवाणामपि धर्मवत्सलो न च स्म सीतां नृवरो निनीषति।
उवाच चैनां बहु सन्निवर्तने वने निवासस्य च दुःखितां प्रति॥
tathā bruvāṇām api dharma-vatsalo
na ca sma sītāṁ nṛ-varo ninīṣati
uvāca caināṁ bahu sannivartane
vane nivāsasya ca duḥkhitāṁ prati
tathā = thus; bruvāṇām = she spoke; api = though; dharma-vatsalaḥ = who was devoted to dharma; na ca sma1 = not; sītām = Sītā; nṛ-varaḥ = Prince Rāma; ninīṣati = did desire to take [with Him]; uvāca ca = He spoke; enām = her; bahu = at length; sannivartane = to dissuade her; vane = in the forest; nivāsasya ca = from residing; duḥkhitām = who was distressed; prati = to.
Though she spoke thus, Prince Rāma who was devoted to dharma did not desire to take Sītā [with Him]. He spoke to her, who was distressed, at length to dissuade her from residing in the forest.
[1] dhruvo bha-bhede klībaṁ tu niścite śāśvate triṣu. (Amara)
[2] bhāgyaṁ karma śubhāśubham. (Amara)
[3] madye puṣpa-rase madhu. (Vaijayantī)
[4] madguḥ kāraṇḍavaḥ plavaḥ. (Amara)
1 Technical note: na ninīṣati sma.
Dharma-vatsalaḥ (“who was devoted to dharma”) indicates that Lord Rāma was unable to tolerate the distress of His beloved wife.