Shloka 6.119.13
सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः (Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha)
न वृथातेश्रमोऽयंस्यात्संशयेन्यस्यजीवितम् ।सुहृज्जनपरिक्लेशो न चायंविपुलस्तव ।।।।
na vṛthā te śramo 'yaṁ syāt saṁśaye 'nyasya jīvitam |
suhṛj-jana-parikleśo na cāyaṁ vipulas tava ||
If you truly harboured doubt, then this toil of yours was in vain—along with the lives risked by others; and this great suffering of your friends would not have been warranted.
"O Life! If you had a doubt this exertion to you is wasteful. This fruitless hard work was perhaps not required on your part nor your friends."
Dharma of responsible judgment: a leader must not mobilize immense sacrifice while privately maintaining distrust; ethical action requires clarity and accountability.
Sītā highlights the cost of the war and the suffering of allies, implying that suspicion after such sacrifice undermines the moral meaning of the effort.
Ethical reasoning and concern for others: Sītā’s argument includes the welfare and suffering of Rāma’s supporters, not only her own pain.