Shloka 24
रावणस्य अन्त्येष्टिः
Ravana’s Funeral Rites and the Ethics of Post-War Conduct
वसुधायाहिवसुधांश्रियःश्रींभर्तृवत्सलाम् ।सीतांसर्वानवद्याङ्गीमरण्येविजनेशुभाम् ।।।।आनयित्वातुतांदीनांछद्मनात्मस्वदूषण ।अप्राप्यतंचैवकामंमैथिलीसङ्गमेकृतम् ।।।।पतिव्रतायास्तपसानूनंदग्धोऽसिमेप्रभो ।
vasudhāyā hi vasudhāṃ śriyaḥ śrīṃ bhartṛ-vatsalām | sītāṃ sarvān-avadyāṅgīm araṇye vijane śubhām ||
ānayitvā tu tāṃ dīnāṃ chadmanā ātma-sva-dūṣaṇa | aprāpya taṃ caiva kāmaṃ maithilī-saṅgame kṛtam ||
pativratāyās tapasā nūnaṃ dagdho 'si me prabho ||
Dengan tipu daya—menodai kehormatan rumahmu sendiri—engkau membawa Sītā yang malang: suci pada tiap anggota, tinggal sendirian di rimba sunyi, setabah bumi, semulia Lakṣmī dalam sinar, dan setia kepada suaminya. Namun engkau tak memperoleh hasratmu untuk bersatu dengan putri Mithilā itu. Wahai tuanku, sungguh engkau telah terbakar oleh daya tapa sang pativratā yang suci.
"O king! You dishonoured your wives and me. Sita, who is tolerant as the goddess of earth, prosperous, goddess of fortune, who is fond of her husband, charming in all respects, living alone in the forest, an auspicious one, desperate, was brought in disguise by you. Before you cherished your desire to be in union with Mythili, surely you got burnt by her austerity."
FAQs
Dharma condemns deceit and violation of another’s spouse; it also affirms the spiritual power of chastity and truth (satya) as protective forces.
Mandodarī recounts Rāvaṇa’s abduction of Sītā by disguise and interprets his failure and downfall as the consequence of affronting a pativratā.
Sītā’s pativratā-dharma—devotion, purity, forbearance—and the potency of tapas aligned with righteousness.