Shloka 5.25.12

सीताविलापः (Sita’s Lament amid Rākṣasī Threats)

Devanagari script

लोकप्रवादः सत्योऽयं पण्डितैः समुदाहृतः।अकाले दुर्लभो मृत्युः स्त्रिया वा पुरुषस्य वा।।5.25.12।।यदहमेवं क्रूराभी राक्षसीभिरिहार्दिता।जीवामि हीना रामेण मुहूर्तमपि दुःखिता।।5.25.13।।

Transliteration

lokapravādaḥ satyo ’yaṃ paṇḍitaiḥ samudāhṛtaḥ |

akāle durlabho mṛtyuḥ striyā vā puruṣasya vā ||5.25.12||

Translation

True indeed is this common saying, spoken by the learned: before its appointed time, death is hard to come by—whether for a woman or for a man.

Context

'There is a famous popular saying among the learned that untimely death is notpossible either for a woman or a man.It is true that I am living in this miserable condition, deprived of Rama's company and tormented by these cruel ogresses here. Living in such conditions even for a moment is impossible. But nobody dies an untimely death.

Characters & Entities

• paṇḍita (the learned)
• loka (people/world)

FAQs

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

Satya is emphasized as alignment with reality: Sītā acknowledges a truth about kāla (time)—life and death follow an order not easily broken by mere desire.

What is the narrative situation?

In despair, Sītā reflects on a proverbial truth that one cannot easily die ‘before one’s time,’ despite unbearable suffering.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness and reflective wisdom: even in anguish, she reasons through a moral and existential observation.