Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Rāma Crosses the Gaṅgā on Guha’s Boat
Text 2.52.45
अहं किं चापि वक्ष्यामि देवीं तव सुतो मया।
नीतोऽसौ मातुलकुलं सन्तापं मा कृथा इति॥
ahaṁ kiṁ cāpi vakṣyāmi devīṁ tava suto mayā
nīto ’sau mātula-kulaṁ santāpaṁ mā kṛthā iti
aham = I; kim ca api = what; vakṣyāmi = should tell; devīm = Queen Kausalyā; tava = your; sutaḥ = son; mayā = I; nītaḥ = took; asau1 mātula-kulam = to His maternal uncle’s home; santāpam = worry; mā kṛthāḥ = don’t; iti = should I say.
What should I tell Queen Kausalyā? Should I say, “I took Your son to His maternal uncle’s home; don’t worry”?
1 Technical note: asau sutaḥ.
If Sumantra would speak that which was pleasant, it would be false, and if he would speak the truth, it would be unpleasant. So he concluded that he could not tell Queen Kausalyā anything.