Shloka 3.53.18

सीताविलापः रावणनिन्दा च (Sita’s Lament and Condemnation of Ravana)

Devanagari script

यथा चास्मिन्भयस्थाने न बिभेषि दशानन।।3.53.18।।व्यक्तं हिरण्मयान् हि त्वं सम्पश्यसि महीरुहान्।

Transliteration

mumūrṣūṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ yat pathyaṃ tan na rocate ||3.53.17||

paśyāmy adya hi kaṇṭhe tvāṃ kāla-pāśāvapāśitam |

Translation

For all who are bent on death, what is salutary never pleases them. And today I see the noose of Time wound about your neck.

Context

O ten-headed Ravana, since you do not fear the source of fear, evidently you see golden trees. (a symptom of death).

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• Kāla (Time/Death)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Refusal of wholesome counsel is a symptom of adharma: when a person is committed to wrongdoing, even life-preserving advice becomes distasteful.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā warns Rāvaṇa that his choices show he is already caught by death—metaphorically ‘bound by Time’s noose’.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral fearlessness and clarity: Sītā confronts power with truth, warning of inevitable consequence (karman/phala).