Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 22, Shloka 1
रावणस्य तर्जनं सीताया धर्मोक्तिः
Ravana’s Threats and Sita’s Dharma-Centered Reply
सीताया वचनं श्रुत्वा परुषं राक्षसाधिपः।प्रत्युवाच ततः सीतां विप्रियं प्रियदर्शनाम्।।।।
sītāyā vacanaṃ śrutvā paruṣaṃ rākṣasādhipaḥ |
pratyuvāca tataḥ sītāṃ vipriyaṃ priya-darśanām ||
Setelah mendengar kata-kata Sītā yang keras, raja para rākṣasa pun menjawab Sītā yang elok dipandang itu dengan ucapan yang tidak menyenangkan.
Hearing the sharp words of pleasing Sita, the lord of demons replied in unpleasant terms:
FAQs
The narrative contrasts dharmic speech and adharmic response: truth may provoke hostility from those attached to wrongdoing.
Transition into Sarga 22: Rāvaṇa, stung by Sītā’s rebuke, prepares to answer her harshly.
Sītā’s moral force by implication—her truthful rebuke is strong enough to unsettle a tyrant.