Shloka 6.14.2

विभीषणोपदेशः (Vibhīṣaṇa’s Counsel to Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasa Court)

Devanagari script

न्तरभोगराशिश्चिन्ताविषस्सुस्मिततीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रः ।पञ्चाङ्गुलीपञ्चशिरोऽतिकायस्सीतामहाहिस्तवकेनराजन् ।।।।

Transliteration

bāhvantara-bhoga-rāśiś cintā-viṣaḥ susmita-tīkṣṇa-daṁṣṭraḥ | pañcāṅgulī-pañca-śiro ’tikāyaḥ sītā mahāhis tava kena rājan ||

Translation

O King, why did you choose Sītā—like a great serpent: with coils at the bosom, grief as poison, sharp fangs hidden behind a gentle smile, and five “heads” in the form of her five fingers?

Context

"O king! Why have you desired Sita who has snake hood at her bosom, has poison of grief, has sharp fangs behind her gentle smile and has five fingers of her palm as five heads of snake called Sita?"

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

Adharma (abduction and coercion) is self-poisoning: wrongful desire brings fear, grief, and ruin upon the wrongdoer.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker rebukes Rāvaṇa’s fixation on Sītā, portraying it as courting a lethal danger disguised by beauty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity—naming desire-driven wrongdoing as destructive rather than romantic or heroic.