Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Rāma Crosses the Gaṅgā on Guha’s Boat
Text 2.52.46
असत्यमपि नैवाहं ब्रूयां वचनमीदृशम्।
कथमप्रियमेवाहं ब्रूयां सत्यमिदं वचः॥
asatyam api naivāhaṁ brūyāṁ vacanam īdṛśam
katham apriyam evāhaṁ brūyāṁ satyam idaṁ vacaḥ
asatyam api = of untruth; na eva aham brūyām = I cannot speak; vacanam = words; īdṛśam = like these; katham = [but] how; apriyam eva = displeasing; aham brūyām = can I speak; satyam = of truth; idam vacaḥ = words.
I cannot speak words of untruth like these. [But] how can I speak displeasing words of truth?
How could he speak displeasing words of truth—that he took Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā-devī to the forest? Such words could bring about the destruction of Queen Kausalyā. That is implied here.