Shloka 3.55.22

रावणस्य सीताप्रलोभनम् (Ravana’s Attempt to Allure Sita)

Devanagari script

भजस्व सीते मामेव भर्ताहं सदृशस्तव।यौवनं ह्यध्रुवं भीरु रमस्वेह मया सह।।3.55.22।।

Transliteration

bhajasva sīte mām eva bhartāhaṃ sadṛśas tava |

yauvanaṃ hy adhruvaṃ bhīru ramasveha mayā saha ||3.55.22||

Translation

Choose me alone, O Sītā; I am a husband worthy of you. Youth, O timid one, is truly impermanent—delight here with me while it yet remains.

Context

O Sita! take refuge only in me. I am a befitting husband to you. O timid one! youth is impermanent. Enjoy (your life) with me while it lasts.

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Sītā

FAQs

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

It shows adharma as persuasion: invoking impermanence to justify betrayal. True dharma does not use philosophical truths to excuse wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa directly urges Sītā to accept him as husband, using allure and the argument that youth is fleeting.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s integrity and marital fidelity are implicitly foregrounded, since she is being enticed to abandon dharma.