Shloka 12
मारीचोपदेशः — Maricha’s Counsel to Ravana
On Rama’s Dharma and the Peril of Abduction
न रामः कर्कशस्तात नाविद्वान्नाजितेन्द्रियः।अनृतं दुश्श्रुतं चैव नैव त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि।।।।
na rāmaḥ karkaśas tāta nāvidvān nājitendriyaḥ | anṛtaṃ duśśrutaṃ caiva naiva tvaṃ vaktum arhasi ||
Rāma ist nicht hart, mein Lieber; er ist weder ungelehrt noch den Sinnen unterworfen. Du sollst keine Unwahrheit sprechen und auch nicht schlecht Gehörtes, Unzuverlässiges, wiederholen.
O my dear, Rama is not harsh nor ignorant. It is not that he has no control over the senses. It is not proper for you to say what is false. You are ill-informed.
FAQs
Truthful, responsible speech is dharma: one must not spread falsehood or unreliable claims, especially about a virtuous person.
Mārīca corrects Rāvaṇa’s misconceptions about Rāma’s nature and capability.
Rāma’s jñāna (learning) and indriya-jaya (sense-control), alongside Mārīca’s insistence on satya in speech.