Shloka 3.66.11
लक्ष्मणोपदेशः — Lakshmana Consoles Rama on Fate, Fortitude, and Right Action
सुमहान्त्यपि भूतानि देवाश्च पुरुषर्षभ।न दैवस्य प्रमुञ्चन्ति सर्वभूतानि देहिनः।।3.66.11।।
sumahānty api bhūtāni devāś ca puruṣarṣabha |
na daivasya pramuñcanti sarvabhūtāni dehinaḥ || 3.66.11 ||
O bull among men, no embodied being is released from what is ordained: even great beings, even the gods, do not escape the workings of fate. Therefore, do not let grief destroy discernment.
O best among men ! Fate spares none. Great beings, every creature, even the gods cannot escape fate.
Dharma is to maintain discernment and duty even when events are beyond control; recognizing the limits of agency prevents collapse into despair.
Lakshmana argues that misfortune is universal—even the gods face it—so Rama should not be overwhelmed after Sita’s abduction.
Rational steadiness (dhairya): Lakshmana frames grief within a broader law of life to stabilize Rama’s mind.