Shloka 6.118.18

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

Devanagari script

तद्गच्छत्वानुजानेऽद्ययथेष्टंजनकात्मजे ।एतादशदिशोभद्रेकार्यमस्ति न मेत्वया ।।6.118.18।।

Transliteration

tad gaccha tvām anujāne 'dya yatheṣṭaṃ janakātmaje |

etādaśa-diśo bhadre kāryam asti na me tvayā ||6.118.18||

Translation

Therefore go—today I grant you leave, O daughter of Janaka, to go wherever you wish, in whatever direction. Auspicious one, I have no further claim upon you.

Context

"O Janaka's daughter! therefore now you are permitted to go wherever to any quarter. Let you be auspicious. I have no work with you."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Janaka

FAQs

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

Rāma articulates a dharma shaped by public legitimacy: he asserts that a king must act in ways that appear unimpeachable, even if it entails personal loss.

What is the narrative situation?

In the public assembly after the war, Rāma tells Sītā she is free to go wherever she wishes.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Detachment and कठोर-धर्मनिष्ठा (stern adherence to duty), presented as the ruler’s discipline.