Shloka 5.50.11
रावण-प्रहस्त-हनूमद्वार्ता (Ravana and Prahasta Question Hanuman)
अनृतं वदतश्चापि दुर्लभं तव जीवितम्।।।।अथवा यन्निमित्तस्ते प्रवेशो रावणालये।
anṛtaṃ vadataś cāpi durlabhaṃ tava jīvitam || athavā yan-nimittas te praveśo rāvaṇālaye |
If you speak falsehood, your life will scarcely be spared. So tell: for what purpose have you entered the abode of Rāvaṇa?
"If you tell a lie, it will be difficult for you to live. Or else, tell me for what reason have you entered the abode of Ravana.'
The verse explicitly warns against anṛta (falsehood) and ties it to dire consequences. In Ramayana ethics, satya is not optional; it is a sustaining principle whose violation leads to loss—here, symbolized as loss of life and safety.
Rāvaṇa escalates the interrogation: he threatens Hanumān with death for lying and demands the true motive for entering his residence.
Steadfast adherence to truth and mission: Hanumān must answer with integrity while representing Rāma’s cause, showing disciplined speech under pressure.