Shloka 6.119.8

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः (Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha)

Devanagari script

यदहंगात्रसम्पर्शंगतास्मिविशवाप्रभो ।कामकारो न मेतत्रदैवंतत्रापराध्यति ।।।।

Transliteration

yad ahaṃ gātra-samparśaṃ gatāsmi vivaśā prabho | kāmakāro na me tatra daivaṃ tatrāparādhyati ||

Translation

Lord, if I endured the touch of another’s limbs, I was helpless; there I had no freedom of choice—fate and force are to be blamed there, not I.

Context

"O Lord! I was helpless when Ravana contacted my limbs in the past. I was not acting according to my will. My fate is to be blamed and not me."

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa (implied as coercer)

FAQs

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

Moral responsibility depends on intention and agency: coercion does not create guilt; dharma rejects blaming the powerless for violence done to them.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā addresses the implication that physical contact during captivity implies consent, clarifying her helplessness under Rāvaṇa’s power.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthful testimony and moral precision—Sītā distinguishes bodily violation from inner consent and fidelity.