Shloka 5.55.18
लङ्कादाहानन्तरचिन्ता — Hanuman’s Post-Conflagration Self-Examination and Assurance of Sita’s Safety
एतदेव वचश्श्रुत्वा भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः।धर्मात्मा सहशत्रुघ्नः कथं शक्ष्यति जीवितुम्।।।।
vinaṣṭāyāṁ tu sītāyāṁ tāv ubhau vinaśiṣyataḥ | tayoḥ vināśe sugrīvaḥ sa-bandhur vinaśiṣyati ||
If Sītā is lost, those two (Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa) will surely perish; and with their destruction, Sugrīva too—together with his kinsmen—will be ruined.
'How will the loving righteous brother, Bharata along with Satrughna survive after hearing this?
Dharma includes responsibility for cascading consequences: failure in one’s entrusted duty can bring suffering to many, not only oneself.
Hanumān imagines the catastrophic outcome if Sītā were harmed in the fire—Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa’s collapse, followed by political and familial ruin for Sugrīva.
Foresight and accountability—Hanumān measures his act against its wider impact on allies and the mission.