Shloka 5.52.11

दूतधर्म-परामर्शः (Envoy-Immunity and Royal Counsel in Ravana’s Court)

Devanagari script

न पापानां वधे पापं विद्यते शत्रुसूदन।तस्मादेनं वधिष्यामि वानरं पापचारिणम्।।।।

Transliteration

na pāpānāṁ vadhe pāpaṁ vidyate śatrusūdana |

tasmād enaṁ vadhiṣyāmi vānaraṁ pāpacāriṇam ||

Translation

“O slayer of foes! In killing sinners there is no sin; therefore I shall kill this Vānara, a doer of evil.”

Context

"O slayer of foes! it is not wrong to kill a sinner. I shall, therefore, kill the sinful vanara."

Characters & Entities

• Rāvaṇa
• Vibhīṣaṇa (implied addressee)
• Hanumān (as the vānara)

FAQs

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

The verse presents a distorted ethical claim: punishing wrongdoing must still follow dharma (lawful limits, proportionality, and context). Rāvaṇa tries to label a messenger as simply “sinful” to justify unlawful execution.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāvaṇa responds to objections by asserting that killing Hanumān is justified because he considers him a sinner.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka) is emphasized by its absence: true justice requires careful moral discrimination, not sweeping condemnation.