Valmiki Ramayana 5.21.20: Sundara Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 20
सीताया रावणं प्रति धर्मोपदेशः
Sita’s Dharmic Admonition to Ravana
Spoken by Sita to RavanaSetting: Lanka (Aśoka-vāṭikā)
विदितः स हि धर्मज्ञः शरणागतवत्सलः ॥२०॥
तेन मैत्री भवतु ते यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि ।
viditaḥ sa hi dharmajñaḥ śaraṇāgatavatsalaḥ ||20||
tena maitrī bhavatu te yadi jīvitum icchasi |
राम धरम जानता है और जो उसके पास आता है उसकी मदद करता है। अगर तुम जी रहे हो तो उससे दोस्ती कर लो।
Sandhi Notes
- जीवितुमिच्छसि = जीवितुम् + इच्छसि (m + i → mi)
"He is famous as a knower of dharma and is compassionate to those who seek his protection. If you desire to preserve your life build friendship with him.
The teaching
The dharmic ruler protects the surrendered; the wrongdoer can still choose life by turning toward dharma and making peace.
Duties in tension
- Rāvaṇa’s self-preservation and kingship vs attachment to adharma
- Rāma’s duty to punish wrongdoing vs compassion to the surrendered
- Ethical theme
- Śaraṇāgati / rāja-dharma / kṣamā with justice
- How it resolves
- Offer of śaraṇāgati/maitrī as a dharmic escape from destruction
Devotion and practice
Bhakti practice of śaraṇāgati—taking refuge in Rāma; contemplation of divine mercy alongside moral accountability.
- Deity praised
- Rāma (as dharmajña, śaraṇāgata-vatsala)
- Form of praise
- Stuti (a hymn of praise)
- Mantra
- शरणागतवत्सलः
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)
- Mood
- Assuring, grave, merciful
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Śaraṇāgati
- Compassion
- Ethics
- Nīti
Śaraṇāgati as turning from ego to the dharmic center parallels the movement from ahamkāra to īśvara-āśraya; mercy is not weakness but alignment with dharma.
The refuge motif echoes the Upaniṣadic search for the 'parama gati' (highest refuge/goal) conceptually, though here personalized in Rāma’s dharmic kingship.
- Rama and Ravana
- Enemy offered refuge-like mercy via friendship if he chooses; threat implicit (conditional)
- Sita and Rama
- Spouse praising husband’s dharmic nature (reverential)
- Sita and Ravana
- Final counsel: choose friendship to live (warning)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 6.18-6.19 (Vibhīṣaṇa’s peace counsel; return Sītā); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 6.33 (Rāma’s acceptance of Vibhīṣaṇa—śaraṇāgati principle); Rāmacaritamānasa Laṅkākāṇḍa (Rāma as śaraṇāgata-vatsala motif prominent)
Bhakti traditions emphasizing śaraṇāgati; later stotra language 'śaraṇāgata-vatsala'
Sundarakāṇḍa 5.21 (Sītā’s characterization of Rāma’s dharma and mercy)
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Solemn
Calm madhyama with bright pañcama on 'śaraṇāgata' and resolved cadence
FAQs
Śaraṇāgati (seeking refuge) is honored in dharma; the righteous protect even those who submit, making reconciliation morally possible.
Sītā describes Rāma’s reputation for dharma and urges Rāvaṇa toward friendship/submission to preserve his life.
Rāma’s compassion to the surrendered, and Sītā’s truthful testimony about his character.
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