Shloka 5.26.48
सीताविलापः — Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin
साऽहमेवङ्गते काले मर्तुमिच्छामि सर्वथा।।।।न च मे विहितो मृत्युरस्मिन् दुःखेऽपि वर्तते।
sāham evaṃgate kāle martum icchāmi sarvathā | na ca me vihito mṛtyur asmin duḥkhe 'pi vartate ||
In such circumstances, at such a time, I wish to die by any means; yet even in this misery, death does not come to me as if it were not ordained.
"By all means I wish to die in these circumstances. However, death is not ordained for me even in this sorrowful state.
The verse highlights endurance under suffering: even when the mind seeks escape, dharma often requires continuing to bear hardship until rightful resolution arrives.
Sītā feels trapped between unbearable grief and the inability to die, deepening her despair in captivity.
Forbearance (kṣānti) appears implicitly—life continues despite anguish, pointing to Sītā’s sustained moral resilience.