Shloka 5.37.52

हनूमत्सीतासंवादः — Hanuman’s Offer of Rescue and Sita’s Dharmic Refusal

Devanagari script

अथवा युध्यमानस्य पतेयं विमुखस्य ते।पतितां च गृहीत्वा मां नयेयुः पापराक्षसाः।।।।

Transliteration

athavā yudhyamānasya pateyaṃ vimukhasya te | patitāṃ ca gṛhītvā māṃ naye yuḥ pāparākṣasāḥ ||

Translation

Or else, while you are fighting and your attention turns away, I might fall; and once I have fallen, those sinful rākṣasas could seize me and carry me off again.

Context

"Or else, while you are engaged in fighting and turn your attention the other way I might fall down and the sinful ogres may bear me away.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Hanumān
• rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Dharma requires safeguarding the vulnerable with certainty, not partial protection; Sītā highlights that a rescue that risks recapture fails its moral purpose.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā describes a scenario where she falls during combat and is immediately re-seized by rākṣasas.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective wisdom—Sītā prioritizes secure deliverance over dramatic but risky action.