Shloka 6.118.13

सीताप्रत्याख्यानम् / Rama’s Post-Victory Address to Sītā (Public Opinion and Royal Duty)

Devanagari script

यत्कर्तव्यंमनुष्येणधर्षणांप्रतिमार्जता ।तत्कृतंरावणंहत्वामयेदंमानकाङ्क्षिणा ।।6.118.13।।

Transliteration

yat kartavyaṃ manuṣyeṇa dharṣaṇāṃ pratimārjatā | tat kṛtaṃ rāvaṇaṃ hatvā mayedaṃ māna-kāṅkṣiṇā ||

Translation

What a man must do to wipe away dishonor—that has been done: I have slain Rāvaṇa, driven by the need to restore honor.

Context

"That which my mind desired as a duty of a human being, to get rid of the insult has been done by killing Ravana."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma as kṣātra-kartavya: confronting adharma and removing the stain of injustice is presented as a human and royal obligation.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma explains his motive for killing Rāvaṇa: to erase the dishonor caused by Sītā’s abduction and the affront to righteousness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s sense of justice and responsibility—acting not for mere conquest but for restoration of moral order.