Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 62: Rāma’s Mental Confusion
Text 3.62.2
पश्यन्निव स तां सीतामपश्यन्मदनार्दितः।
उवाच राघवो वाक्यं विलापाश्रयदुर्वचम्॥
paśyann iva sa tāṁ sītām apaśyan madanārditaḥ
uvāca rāghavo vākyaṁ vilāpāśraya-durvacam
paśyan = He was seeing her; iva = as if; saḥ = He; tām = to her; sītām = Sītā; apaśyan = though didn’t see in front of Him; madana-arditaḥ = [because] He was afflicted by Cupid; uvāca = spoke; rāghavaḥ = Rāghava; vākyam = His words; vilāpa-āśraya-durvacam = He found it difficult to articulate because of His lamentation.
Though Rāghava didn’t see Sītā in front of Him, [because] He was afflicted by Cupid, He spoke to her as if He was seeing her. He found it difficult to articulate His words because of His lamentation.
Vilāpāśraya-durvacam also indicates that the author found it impossible to repeat His words because of His lamentation.
The statement, “He spoke to Sītā as if He was seeing her,” is elaborated in the next five and a half verses.