HomeRamayanaSundara KandaSarga 58Shloka 5.58.71
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Shloka 5.58.71

सुन्दरकाण्डे अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः — हनुमद्वृत्तान्तकथनम्, सीताभिज्ञान-प्रदानम्, लङ्कादाह-वर्णनम्

किञ्चिद्वीर्यं तवानार्य यो मां भर्तुरसन्निधौ।।।।अपहृत्याऽऽगतः पाप ते नादृष्टो महात्मना।

kiñcid vīryaṃ tavānārya yo māṃ bhartur asannidhau |

apahṛtyāgataḥ pāpa te nādṛṣṭo mahātmanā ||

You have no valor at all, ignoble sinner—you who, when my husband was absent, carried me off and came away without being seen by the great-souled Rāma.

'O! ignoble one! when my husband was away, you came and abducted me unseen by the great Rama. You do not have even a little courage (to win me through a straight fight).

S
Sītā
R
Rāvaṇa
R
Rāma

Dharma includes honorable conduct in conflict: abducting a woman in a man’s absence is cowardice and adharma, not true heroism.

Sītā rebukes Rāvaṇa for kidnapping her deceitfully rather than facing Rāma directly.

Honor (śaurya with maryādā): Sītā upholds the ideal that strength must be joined with fairness and restraint.