Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 119, Shloka 14
सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः
Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha
त्वयातुनृपशार्दूलदोषमेवानुवर्तता ।लघुनेवमनुष्येणस्त्रीत्वमेवपुरस्कृतम् ।।।।
tvayā tu nṛpa-śārdūla doṣam evānuvartatā |
laghun eva manuṣyeṇa strītvam eva puraskṛtam ||
परन्तु हे नृपशार्दूल! तुमने तो केवल दोष का ही अनुसरण किया। एक तुच्छ मनुष्य की भाँति तुमने ‘स्त्रीत्व’ को ही आगे रख दिया, मानो स्त्री होना ही संदेह का कारण हो।
"O tiger among kings! You also gave up yourself to anger like a weak man and adopted womanliness"
FAQs
Dharma as impartial justice: Sītā critiques judgment based on prejudice (here, suspicion attached to womanhood) rather than evidence and truth.
In response to Rāma’s harsh public posture, Sītā accuses him of yielding to a moral fault (doṣa) and behaving beneath royal ideals.
Courageous truth-speaking: Sītā confronts power with satya, holding the king to a higher standard of righteousness.