Shloka 23
रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च
Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation
गत्वा तु यदि काकुत्स्थं वक्ष्यामि परमप्रियम्।।।।न दृष्टेति मया सीता ततस्तक्ष्यति जीवितम्।
gatvā tu yadi kākutsthaṁ vakṣyāmi paramāpriyam | na dṛṣṭeti mayā sītā tatastyakṣyati jīvitam ||
ನಾನು ಕಾಕುತ್ಸ್ಥ ಶ್ರೀರಾಮನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಗಿ ಅತ್ಯಂತ ವೇದನಾದಾಯಕ ವಚನವನ್ನು—‘ನಾನು ಸೀತಾಮಾತೆಯನ್ನು ನೋಡಲಿಲ್ಲ’—ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಬೇಕಾದರೆ, ಅವರು ಪ್ರಾಣತ್ಯಾಗ ಮಾಡುವರು.
"If I report the most unpleasant news that Sita was not found, Rama will give up his life.
FAQs
Satya (truth) carries moral weight: Hanumān recognizes that truthful speech can have grave consequences, so dharma requires both honesty and wise timing/manner of communication.
Hanumān fears the outcome of reporting failure to find Sītā, imagining Rāma’s unbearable grief.
Empathetic responsibility—Hanumān considers Rāma’s emotional and ethical state, not merely the factual report.