Shloka 5
पञ्चवटी-निर्देशः
Agastya Directs Rama to Panchavati
एषा हि प्रकृतिः स्त्रीणामासृष्टे रघुनन्दन।समस्थमनुरज्यान्ति विषमस्थं त्यजन्ति च।।।।
eṣā hi prakṛtiḥ strīṇām āsṛṣṭe raghunandana | samastham anurajyānti viṣamasthaṃ tyajanti ca ||
Ô joie de la lignée de Raghu, telle est, dit-on, la nature des femmes depuis l’aube de la création : elles s’attachent quand tout est aisé, et délaissent celui qui se tient dans l’adversité.
Thus addressed by Agastya, Rama with Lakshmana paid respects to the sage wedded to truth and took leave of him.
FAQs
It frames a contrastive norm to highlight dharma: loyalty in adversity is rare and therefore ethically significant when it occurs.
Agastya makes a general observation about human relationships to underscore the exceptional nature of Sītā’s choice.
By implication, Sītā’s steadfast loyalty is emphasized as surpassing ordinary expectations.