Shloka 21
Virādha-saṃvādaḥ — Encounter with Virādha in the Daṇḍakāraṇya
Aranya Kanda, Sarga 2
परस्पर्शात्तु वैदेह्याः न दुःखतरमस्तिमे।पितुर्विनाशात्सौमित्रे स्वराज्यहरणात्तथा।।।।
parasparśāt tu vaidehyāḥ na duḥkhataram asti me |
pitur vināśāt saumitre svarājyaharaṇāt tathā ||3.2.21||
Saumitri, pour moi il n’est pas de peine plus douloureuse que de voir Vaidehī touchée par un autre homme—plus douloureuse que la mort de mon père, et même que la perte de mon propre royaume.
O Lakshmana! nothing is more sorrowful to me than the touch of Vaidehi by another. It is more painful to me than the death of my father or loss of my kingdom.
FAQs
Maryādā (moral boundary) in marriage: the protection of a spouse’s bodily dignity is treated as a supreme duty, outweighing even political loss.
Rama articulates to Lakshmana the depth of his anguish at Sita’s violation and abduction by Virādha.
Conjugal loyalty and protective righteousness: Rama’s priority is Sita’s safety and honor above personal power.