Shloka 5.54.43
लङ्कादाहः — The Burning of Lanka (Catuḥpañcāśaḥ Sargaḥ)
भङ्क्त्वा वनं पादपरत्नसङ्कुलं हत्वा तु रक्षांसि महान्ति संयुगे।दग्ध्वा पुरीं तां गृहरत्नमालिनीं तस्थौ हनूमान्पवनात्मजः कपिः।।।।
yo hy ayaṃ mama lāṅgūle dīpyate havyavāhanaḥ | asya santarpaṇaṃ nyāyyaṃ kartum ebhir gṛhottamaiḥ ||
“Since this fire is blazing on my tail, it is only fitting to ‘feed’ it with these finest mansions.”
Hanuman, son of the Wind-god stood at ease having shattered the garden that was full of excellent trees, and killed the demons and burnt down rows of beautiful houses in the city.
Dharma here is framed as purposeful action in service of Rama’s mission: Hanuman treats the imposed punishment (burning tail) not as humiliation but as a means to weaken adharma in Lanka. The ‘proper’ (nyāyya) act is to turn suffering into righteous instrumentality.
Hanuman’s tail has been set on fire by the Rakshasas; he decides to use that very fire to ignite Lanka’s mansions.
Resourceful courage (pratibhā + vīrya): he converts danger into strategy without losing focus on the larger moral objective.