Shloka 40
सीताभर्त्सना
The Ogresses’ Threats to Sita and Her Vow of Fidelity
इमां हरिणलोलाक्षीं त्रासोत्कम्पिपयोधराम्।रावणेन हृतां दृष्टवा दौहृदो मे महानभूत्।।5.24.40।।
imāṃ hariṇalolākṣīṃ trāsotkampipayodharām | rāvaṇena hṛtāṃ dṛṣṭvā dauhṛdo me mahān abhūt ||5.24.40||
Als ich diese Frau sah – mit Rehaugen, ihr Busen zitternd vor Schreck, entführt von Ravana – ist in mir ein großes Verlangen erwacht.
'I thought of feasting on your spleen, liver, heart, all the joints, head and intestines.'
FAQs
The verse presents the violation of Dharma through predatory desire toward a captive; it implicitly contrasts with the Ramayana’s ideal that the vulnerable and abducted must be protected, not exploited.
The rākṣasīs guarding Sītā discuss her with cruelty, expressing desire to harm and consume her, intensifying the atmosphere of terror in Laṅkā.
Sītā’s endurance (kṣānti) is highlighted by context: she remains the persecuted innocent amid threats, underscoring her moral strength.