Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 119, Shloka 14
सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः
Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha
त्वयातुनृपशार्दूलदोषमेवानुवर्तता ।लघुनेवमनुष्येणस्त्रीत्वमेवपुरस्कृतम् ।।।।
tvayā tu nṛpa-śārdūla doṣam evānuvartatā |
laghun eva manuṣyeṇa strītvam eva puraskṛtam ||
पण हे नृपशार्दूल! तू केवळ दोषाचाच पाठपुरावा केलास। क्षुद्र मनुष्याप्रमाणे ‘स्त्रीत्वा’लाच पुढे करून, जणू स्त्री असणे हेच संशयाचे कारण आहे असे मानलेस।
"O tiger among kings! You also gave up yourself to anger like a weak man and adopted womanliness"
FAQs
Dharma as impartial justice: Sītā critiques judgment based on prejudice (here, suspicion attached to womanhood) rather than evidence and truth.
In response to Rāma’s harsh public posture, Sītā accuses him of yielding to a moral fault (doṣa) and behaving beneath royal ideals.
Courageous truth-speaking: Sītā confronts power with satya, holding the king to a higher standard of righteousness.