Shloka 23
हनूमदुपदेशः रावणस्य च कोपः
Hanuman’s Counsel to Ravana and Ravana’s Wrath
लक्षितेयं मया सीता तथा शोकपरायणा।गृह्य यां नाभिजानासि पञ्चास्यामिव पन्नगीम्।।।।
lakṣiteyaṃ mayā sītā tathā śokaparāyaṇā | gṛhya yāṃ nābhijānāsi pañcāsyām iva pannagīm ||
Ich habe Sītā gesehen, ganz dem Kummer hingegeben. Indem du sie raubtest, erkennst du nicht, dass du in deinem Haus eine fünfköpfige Schlangin bewahrst.
"I have seen Sita immersed in deep sorrow. You do not realise that by abducting her you are keeping a five-hooded female serpent in your house.
FAQs
Adharma—abducting another’s lawful wife—invites self-destruction. The verse frames Sītā’s captivity as a peril to the captor, warning that unrighteous possession is inherently dangerous.
Hanumān rebukes Rāvaṇa for abducting Sītā and emphasizes that her presence in Laṅkā will bring ruin upon him.
Moral courage: Hanumān speaks fearlessly to a tyrant, naming the act as adharma and predicting its consequences.