Shloka 15
विभीषणोपदेशः
Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana
एतन्निमित्तंवैदेहीभयंनस्सुमहद्भवेत् ।आहृतासापरित्याज्याकलहार्थेकृतेनकिम् ।।।।
etan nimittaṃ vaidehī bhayaṃ naḥ sumahad bhavet | āhṛtā sā parityājyā kalahārthe kṛtena kim ||
Gerade deshalb ist Vaidehī für uns eine sehr große Gefahr; da sie hergebracht wurde, soll man sie zurückgeben. Was gewinnt man, wenn man an einer Tat festhält, die nur Streit gebiert?
"On account of this, we have a great fear of Vaidehi. She, who was brought here, is to be given away. What is the use of doing anything, which may be the cause of strife?"
FAQs
Restitution: when a wrongful act causes escalating harm, dharma calls for relinquishing the unjust gain and restoring what was taken.
The advisor argues that retaining Sītā endangers Laṅkā and is not worth the inevitable conflict it provokes.
Prāyaścitta-buddhi (a corrective mindset): willingness to undo wrong and prevent further suffering.