Shloka 6.81.29
इन्द्रजितो मायासीतावधः — Indrajit’s Illusory Sita Episode and Hanuman’s Rebuke
तमेवमुक्त्वारुदतींसीतांमयामयीं च ताम् ।।।।शितधारेणखङ्गेननिजघानेन्द्रजित्स्वयम् ।
na hantavyāḥ striyaś ceti yad bravīṣi plavaṅgama | pīḍākaram amitrāṇāṃ yat syāt kartavyam eva tat ||
You say, ‘Women must not be slain,’ O plavaṅgama. Yet whatever becomes a source of affliction to one’s enemies—that alone must be done.
Indrajith having spoken like that killed that crying illusory Sita with a sharp-edged sword.
It presents a clash between dharma-based restraint (not harming women) and Indrajit’s adharma-based utilitarianism, where ‘anything that hurts the enemy’ is treated as permissible.
Indrajit argues against Hanumān’s moral objection, attempting to justify an impending violent act against a woman (in fact, an illusory Sītā).
Hanumān’s implied virtue is dharmic discernment and restraint; Indrajit displays moral inversion—redefining “duty” as whatever causes maximum enemy suffering.