Shloka 16
विभीषणोपदेशः
Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana
नतुक्षमंवीर्यवतातेनधर्मानुवर्तिना ।वैरंनिरर्थकंकर्तुंदीयतामस्यमैथिली ।।।।
na tu kṣamaṃ vīryavatā tena dharmānuvartinā | vairaṃ nirarthakaṃ kartuṃ dīyatām asya maithilī ||
Il n’est pas convenable d’entretenir une inimitié vaine envers ce vaillant qui suit le dharma ; que Maithilī lui soit rendue.
"To have enmity with a valorous one, a follower of dharma, is useless and not good for us. Give away Mythili to him (Rama)."
FAQs
Do not persist in unjust hostility; dharma prefers reconciliation through returning what was wrongly taken, especially when the opponent is righteous.
Counsel in Laṅkā urges Rāvaṇa to end the conflict by giving Sītā back to Rāma.
Rāma’s dharma-niṣṭhā (steadfastness in righteousness) is cited as a reason not to wage futile enmity.