Shloka 3.54.25
सीताहरणोत्तरं लङ्काप्रवेशः — Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka
तं त्विदानीमहं हत्वा खरदूषणघातिनम्।रामं शर्मोपलप्स्यामि धनं लब्ध्वेव निर्धनः।।।।
taṁ tvidānīm ahaṁ hatvā kharadūṣaṇaghātinam | rāmaṁ śarmopalapsyāmi dhanaṁ labdhveva nirdhanaḥ ||
Only after slaying Rāma—the killer of Khara and Dūṣaṇa—shall I gain contentment, like a penniless man who becomes joyful upon obtaining wealth.
I will be happy only after killing the destroyer of Khara and Dusana, just as a poor man feels happy only on acquiring wealth.
It critiques the delusion that happiness arises from harming others. In dharmic thought, śarma (peace) is rooted in righteousness and restraint, not in revenge.
Rāvaṇa expresses that his emotional relief depends on killing Rāma, framing it through a wealth simile.
The verse highlights a vice: craving for satisfaction through violence, revealing distorted values.