Shloka 20
सीताविलापः
Sita’s Lament amid Rākṣasī Threats
धिगस्तु खलु मानुष्यं धिगस्तु परवश्यताम्।न शक्यं यत्परित्यक्तुमात्मच्छन्देन जीवितम्।।5.25.20।।
dhig astu khalu mānuṣyaṃ dhig astu paravaśyatām | na śakyaṃ yat parityaktum ātma-chandena jīvitam || 5.25.20 ||
മനുഷ്യജീവിതത്തോട് ധിക്കാരം, പരവശതയോടും ധിക്കാരം; കാരണം സ്വന്തം ഇച്ഛപ്രകാരം ജീവൻ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കാൻ കഴിയുന്നില്ല.
'Like a doe that strayed from the herd in the forest and tormented by wolves around, Sita had withdrawn into herself all her limbs through fear, she was trembling excessively.
FAQs
Dharma values autonomy aligned with righteousness; the verse condemns paravaśyatā (subjugation) as a moral and existential misery, underscoring the duty to resist injustice and protect freedom.
Sītā, under strict guard, laments that even choosing death is not within her control.
Clear moral discernment—she identifies dependence and coercion as inherently degrading, even while enduring them.