Shloka 5.25.3

सीताविलापः (Sita’s Lament amid Rākṣasī Threats)

Devanagari script

न मानुषी राक्षसस्य भार्या भवितुमर्हति।

कामं खादत मां सर्वा न करिष्यामि वो वचः।।5.25.3।।

Transliteration

kīdṛśaṃ tu mahāpāpaṃ mayā janmāntare kṛtam | yenedaṃ prāpyate duḥkhaṃ mayā ghoraṃ sudāruṇam || 5.25.18 ||

Translation

What great sin, indeed, did I commit in a former life, that I must now undergo this terrible and most cruel suffering?

Context

'A human ought not to become the wife of a demon. You can eat me up. I will not follow your advice.'

Characters & Entities

• Sītā

FAQs

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

The verse reflects the dharmic worldview of karma and moral causality: suffering prompts introspection rather than hatred, even when the immediate cause is injustice.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, overwhelmed in captivity, wonders if past actions could explain her present agony.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral introspection—she examines herself rather than abandoning truth or becoming vindictive.