Shloka 44
सीताभर्त्सना
The Ogresses’ Threats to Sita and Her Vow of Fidelity
ततस्त्वजामुखी नाम राक्षसी वाक्यमब्रवीत्।विशस्येमां ततः सर्वाः समान् कुरुत पिण्डकान्।।5.24.44।।
tatastv ajāmukhī nāma rākṣasī vākyam abravīt | viśasyemāṃ tataḥ sarvāḥ samān kuruta piṇḍakān ||5.24.44||
Da sprach die Rākṣasī namens Ajāmukhī: „Zerteilt sie, und dann macht alle gleiche Portionen daraus.“
'We shall share them. I do not like disputes in this regard. Go swiftly and get drinks and food to lick. Let the accompanying dishes of all variety and quality be brought.'
FAQs
The verse illustrates the collapse of Dharma when life is treated as an object for consumption; it implicitly affirms that righteousness requires reverence for life and compassion.
Ajāmukhī proposes a methodical division of Sītā’s body, showing the organized, communal nature of the threat.
By contrast, Sītā’s sanctity and innocence are emphasized; the more calculated the cruelty, the more her purity stands out in the narrative.