Shloka 12
रावणोत्पत्तिः—तपसा वरलाभश्च
Rāvaṇa’s Origins and the Acquisition of Boons
ते सत्यमाहु: कर्तव्या दयास्माभिवनौकसाम् | साष्टमासं हि नो वर्ष यदेतदुपयुड्क्ष्महे,“मेरी समझमें वे पशु ठीक कहते हैं। हमलोगोंको वनवासी हिंस्नर जीवोंपर भी दया करनी चाहिये। अबतक हमलोगोंको इस द्वैतवनमें रहते हुए एक वर्ष आठ महीने बीत चुके हैं
te satyam āhuḥ kartavyā dayāsmābhir vanaukāsām | sāṣṭamāsaṃ hi no varṣa yad etad upayuñkṣmahe ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Essas criaturas dizem a verdade. Nós, habitantes da floresta, devemos mostrar compaixão—até mesmo para com os seres violentos do ermo. Pois, vivendo neste Dvaitavana, já se passaram um ano e oito meses.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in harsh wilderness conditions, dharma requires dayā (compassion). The verse affirms that moral conduct is not suspended by danger; forest-dwellers should cultivate mercy even toward aggressive creatures.
The narrator reports a reflection that certain animals’ point is correct, leading to an ethical resolve about compassion in the forest. It also situates the episode in time: the group has already spent one year and eight months living in Dvaitavana.