Bhagavan Valmiki was omniscient. So he used the word iva here to show Rama acted thus only to educate the world. Rama’s lamentation for Sita at the time of searching for her and his asking the trees and animals for Sita’s news was done only with this purpose. That is why Srisuka also says in the Bhagavata “When Sita was kidnapped by the wretched rakshasa in the absence of Rama and Lakshmana, Rama was separated from his beloved. He behaved like a perturbed person and exhibited to the world the pitiable condition of those who are attached to women. The Lord’s human incarnation was not just to kill a demon but it was also to educate the humanity. Otherwise, why should there be the sorrow and anguish about Sita in the supreme soul that always has the bliss in itself? Vasudeva, who is the very soul of knowledge, never becomes attached to anything in the three worlds. He can never have any impurtiy caused by the contact with a woman. He also does not want to leave Lakshmana”.The same is found in Skandapurana where Visnu says the following to the gods: “I will incarnate as Rama and kill Ravana in the battle. I will act like an ignorant person in my Rama incarnation. You should have no doubt about this: I will do all this even though I am omniscient with my power of Maya. The rakshasa will see me as a human being, because he would be overtaken by maya. Otherwise, the Maya would be nothing to him” etc.
Lamentation of various types results on account of identification of body with the soul. Such thought is due to ignorance. All such things were shown by Rama only to educate the people when the Lord is incarnated as a king. That incarnation was to grant deliverance to all people by means of hearing his sportive exploits in this world. It is impossible to say that there can be even a speck of ignorance in Srirama, who is the very embodiment of pure existence, consciousness and bliss and who is the master of Maya and the supreme Lord. Even on account of Bhrgu’s curse etc, ignorance cannot be traced in Him.
Rama had the illusion of Sita in some objects by the force of his sorrow, even though those objects were not similar to her. In some other objects like the creeper, the illusion was due to similitude.
Rama’s lamentation for Sita 3.60.8-38
Bhagavan Valmiki was omniscient. So he used the word iva here to show Rama acted thus only to educate the world. Rama’s lamentation for Sita at the time of searching for her and his asking the trees and animals for Sita’s news was done only with this purpose. That is why Srisuka also says in the Bhagavata “When Sita was kidnapped by the wretched rakshasa in the absence of Rama and Lakshmana, Rama was separated from his beloved. He behaved like a perturbed person and exhibited to the world the pitiable condition of those who are attached to women. The Lord’s human incarnation was not just to kill a demon but it was also to educate the humanity. Otherwise, why should there be the sorrow and anguish about Sita in the supreme soul that always has the bliss in itself? Vasudeva, who is the very soul of knowledge, never becomes attached to anything in the three worlds. He can never have any impurtiy caused by the contact with a woman. He also does not want to leave Lakshmana”.The same is found in Skandapurana where Visnu says the following to the gods: “I will incarnate as Rama and kill Ravana in the battle. I will act like an ignorant person in my Rama incarnation. You should have no doubt about this: I will do all this even though I am omniscient with my power of Maya. The rakshasa will see me as a human being, because he would be overtaken by maya. Otherwise, the Maya would be nothing to him” etc.
Lamentation of various types results on account of identification of body with the soul. Such thought is due to ignorance. All such things were shown by Rama only to educate the people when the Lord is incarnated as a king. That incarnation was to grant deliverance to all people by means of hearing his sportive exploits in this world. It is impossible to say that there can be even a speck of ignorance in Srirama, who is the very embodiment of pure existence, consciousness and bliss and who is the master of Maya and the supreme Lord. Even on account of Bhrgu’s curse etc, ignorance cannot be traced in Him.
Rama had the illusion of Sita in some objects by the force of his sorrow, even though those objects were not similar to her. In some other objects like the creeper, the illusion was due to similitude.