Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 60: Rāma Searches for Sītā
Text 3.60.25
शार्दूल यदि सा दृष्टा प्रिया चन्द्रनिभानना।
मैथिली मम विस्रब्धं कथयस्व न ते भयम्॥
śārdūla yadi sā dṛṣṭā priyā candra-nibhānanā
maithilī mama visrabdhaṁ kathayasva na te bhayam
śārdūla = O tiger; yadi = if; sā dṛṣṭā = [you have] seen; priyā = My beloved; candra-nibha-ānanā = whose face resembles the moon; maithilī = Maithilī; mama = in Me; visrabdham kathayasva = confide; na te bhayam = don’t be afraid.
O tiger, if [you have] seen My beloved Maithilī whose face resembles the moon, confide in Me. Don’t be afraid.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: śārdūleti. atra tulya-gatitva-rūpaḥ sambandho bodhyaḥ.
It should be understood that Maithilī is similar to the tiger in her movement.1
“Don’t be afraid” means “You who are a hero should not be afraid.” This indicates that Lord Rāma intended [to say], “Out of fear, no one before [you] has replied [to Me].”