Shloka 3.9.17
सीताया धर्मोपदेशः—शस्त्रसंयोगदोषकथा (Sita’s Counsel on Dharma and the Peril of Weapon-Association)
पुरा किल महाबाहो तपस्स्वी सत्यवाक्छुचिः।।3.9.17।।कस्मिंश्चिदभवत्पुण्ये वने रतमृगद्विजे।
tasyaiva tapaso vighnaṃ kartuṃ indraḥ śacīpatiḥ ||3.9.18||
khaṅgapāṇir athāgacchad āśramaṃ bhaṭarūpadhṛt |
To hinder that very ascetic’s austerities, Indra—the lord of Śacī—came to the hermitage, sword in hand, disguised as a soldier-attendant.
O mighty-armed one, there dwelt in the past an ascetic, noble and truthful in a sacred forest where animals and birds lived merrily together.
Dharma includes vigilance against deception and tests: even sacred practice may face deliberate obstruction, requiring steadiness in truth and discipline.
Sītā continues her exemplum: Indra approaches the ascetic’s hermitage in disguise to disrupt his austerities.
The implied virtue is steadfast tapas supported by satya—remaining unwavering even when challenged by powerful, deceptive forces.