Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 62: Rāma’s Mental Confusion
Text 3.62.14
निवृत्तवनवासश्च जनकं मिथिलाधिपम्।
कुशलं परिपृच्छन्तं कथं शक्ष्ये निरीक्षितुम्॥
nivṛtta-vana-vāsaś ca janakaṁ mithilādhipam
kuśalaṁ paripṛcchantaṁ kathaṁ śakṣye nirīkṣitum
nivṛtta-vana-vāsaḥ = after I complete My residency in the forest; ca = and; janakam = King Janaka; mithilā-adhipam = when the ruler of Mithilā; kuśalam = about [our] welfare; paripṛcchantam = inquires; katham = how; śakṣye = can I; nirīkṣitum = look at him.
And after I complete My residency in the forest, when the ruler of Mithilā, King Janaka, inquires about [our] welfare, how can I look at him?1
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: nivṛtta-vana-vāsaḥ samāpta-vana-vāsaḥ. “samāptau vṛtta ity adaḥ” iti śabdārṇave.
“How can I look at him?” indicates that Rāmacandra would be unable to answer [King Janaka].