Shloka 6.9.13

विभीषणोपदेशः — Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana

Devanagari script

किंचराक्षसराजस्यरामेणापकृतंपुरा ।आजहारजनस्थानाद्यस्यभार्यांयशस्विनः ।।।।

Transliteration

kiṃ ca rākṣasarājasya rāmeṇāpakṛtaṃ purā | ājahāra janasthānād yasya bhāryāṃ yaśasvinaḥ ||

Translation

And what wrong had Rāma ever done to the rākṣasa-king before, that he abducted the illustrious man’s wife from Jana-sthāna?

Context

"What offence did Rama do earlier to the Rakshasa king that he abducted the glorious wife of Rama from Janasthana?"

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāvaṇa
• Janasthāna
• Sītā (implied as ‘wife’)

FAQs

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

Unprovoked harm and the abduction of another’s wife are adharma; the verse frames the war’s root as an unjust act, emphasizing accountability and moral causality.

What is the narrative situation?

In counsel, the speaker challenges the legitimacy of Rāvaṇa’s grievance, pointing to the original wrongdoing—Sītā’s abduction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity and satya-vākya: naming the wrongdoing directly despite danger.