Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 27, Shloka 3
सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः
Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest
आर्यपुत्र पिता माता भ्राता पुत्रस्तथा स्नुषा।स्वानि पुण्यानि भुञ्जानाः स्वं स्वं भाग्यमुपासते।।।।
āryaputra pitā mātā bhrātā putras tathā snuṣā |
svāni puṇyāni bhuñjānāḥ svaṃ svaṃ bhāgyam upāsate ||
O noble prince, father, mother, brother, son, and even a daughter-in-law each enjoys the fruits of their own merit and receives only their own allotted destiny.
O son of a noble monarch! father, mother, brother, son or daughter-in-law (everybody) experiences the merit (of their past deeds) and receives what is due from destiny.
FAQs
Moral responsibility is personal: each person bears and experiences the fruits of their own karma; dharma cannot be outsourced to relatives.
Sītā argues with Rāma: she rejects the idea that family members can substitute for one another’s fate, preparing to insist that she must share his path directly.
Sītā’s clarity and truthfulness (satya-buddhi): she reasons firmly about karma and destiny to support her dharmic choice.
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