Shloka 26
Dyumatsena’s Restoration and Sāvitrī’s Disclosure of Yama’s Boons (आरण्यकपर्व, अध्याय २८२)
श्रुत्वा तद् रावणो वाक्यं सीतयोक्तं सुनिष्ठरम्,न त्वामकामां सुश्रोणीं समेष्ये चारुहासिनीम् । सीताके मुखसे यह अत्यन्त निछ्ठदर वचन सुनकर और उनके द्वारा कोरा उत्तर पाकर भी दुर्बुद्धि रावण पुन: इस प्रकार कहने लगा--'सीते! भले ही कामदेव मेरे शरीरको पीड़ा देता रहे, परंतु मैं तुम-जैसी मनोहर मुसकानवाली सुन्दरी युवतीको राजी किये बिना तुम्हारे साथ समागम नहीं करूँगा
śrutvā tad rāvaṇo vākyaṃ sītayoktaṃ suniṣṭhuram | na tvām akāṃāṃ suśroṇīṃ sameṣye cāruhāsinīm ||
Mārkaṇḍeya said: Hearing Sītā’s harsh and unyielding reply, Rāvaṇa—though rebuffed—spoke again in his deluded obstinacy: “O fair-hipped lady of lovely smile, I will not seek union with you while you are unwilling; even if desire torments my body, I will not approach you until you consent.” In the narrative’s ethical frame, the line underscores Sītā’s steadfast refusal and highlights the moral tension between coercive intent and the stated (yet self-serving) claim of not forcing an unwilling woman.
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical restraint versus coercive desire: Sītā’s unwavering refusal represents dharmic integrity, while Rāvaṇa’s continued pursuit—despite claiming he will not force her—reveals the moral contradiction of persisting in wrongful intent after a clear rejection.
In Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration of the Rāmāyaṇa episode, Sītā has given Rāvaṇa a stern reply. Rāvaṇa hears it and responds again, declaring that he will not unite with her while she is unwilling, even though passion afflicts him—yet he continues to press his suit.