Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 64: Rāma Discovers Some Clues About Sītā’s Whereabouts
Text 3.64.23
साधु गच्छावहै देव दिशमेतां हि नैर्ऋतिम्।
यदि स्यादागमः कश्चिदार्या वा साथ लक्ष्यते॥
sādhu gacchāvahai deva diśam etāṁ hi nairṛtim
yadi syād āgamaḥ kaścid āryā vā sātha lakṣyate
sādhu = good; gacchāvahai = let’s go; deva = O Lord; diśam = direction; etām hi = to the; nairṛtim = southwestern; yadi syāt = there could be; āgamaḥ = means by which We can find Sītā [there]; kaścit = some; āryā = revered lady herself; vā = or [perhaps]; sā = the; atha lakṣyate = can be found [there].
Good, let’s go to the southwestern direction! O Lord, there could be some means by which We can find Sītā [there] or [perhaps] the revered lady herself can be found [there]!
The southwest is the residence of the rākṣasas. It is referred to as the south because it is part of the southern [cardinal] direction.