Shloka 71
गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम्
The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī
तथारुपां हि वैदेहीं न दास्यन्ति यदि प्रियाम्।नाशयामि जगत्सर्वं त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम्।।।।
tathārūpāṃ hi vaidehīṃ na dāsyanti yadi priyām | nāśayāmi jagat sarvaṃ trailokyaṃ sacarācaram ||
Wenn sie mir meine geliebte Vaidehī nicht in ihrem wahren Zustand zurückgeben, werde ich das ganze All vernichten—die drei Welten mit allem Bewegten und Unbewegten.
If my beloved Vaidehi is not given back to me in her true form I will destroy the three worlds with all animate and inanimate beings.
FAQs
It underscores that dharma is not merely power or intention; it is proportion and restraint. The threat to destroy all beings shows how adharma can arise from excess, even in pursuit of truth and justice.
Rāma’s desperation peaks: he demands Sītā’s safe return ‘as she is,’ otherwise he imagines annihilating the cosmic order.
Total fidelity to his spouse and to justice—yet the episode highlights the necessity of self-governance as part of virtue.