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 ||
ഭൂമിപോലെ ക്ഷമാശീലയും, ലക്ഷ്മിപോലെ ദീപ്തിയുള്ളതും, ഭർത്തൃവത്സലയായ പതിവ്രതയും ആയ, സർവ്വാംഗവും നിർദോഷമായ ശുഭ സീതയെ—ഏകാന്ത വനത്തിൽ ഒറ്റയ്ക്കിരുന്നവളെ—നീ വഞ്ചനയാൽ കൊണ്ടുവന്ന്, നിന്റെ കുലത്തെ തന്നെ കളങ്കപ്പെടുത്തി, ഹേ ആത്മദൂഷകാ! എങ്കിലും മൈഥിലിയോടുള്ള സംഗമകാമം നിനക്കു ലഭിച്ചില്ല. ഹേ പ്രഭോ, ആ പതിവ്രതയുടെ തപോബലത്താൽ നീ തീർച്ചയായും ദഗ്ധനായി.
"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.