Shloka 11
रावण-प्रहस्त-हनूमद्वार्ता
Ravana and Prahasta Question Hanuman
अनृतं वदतश्चापि दुर्लभं तव जीवितम्।।।।अथवा यन्निमित्तस्ते प्रवेशो रावणालये।
anṛtaṃ vadataś cāpi durlabhaṃ tava jīvitam || athavā yan-nimittas te praveśo rāvaṇālaye |
Se falares mentira, tua vida será difícil de preservar. Dize, então: com que propósito entraste na morada de Rāvaṇa?
"If you tell a lie, it will be difficult for you to live. Or else, tell me for what reason have you entered the abode of Ravana.'
FAQs
The verse explicitly warns against anṛta (falsehood) and ties it to dire consequences. In Ramayana ethics, satya is not optional; it is a sustaining principle whose violation leads to loss—here, symbolized as loss of life and safety.
Rāvaṇa escalates the interrogation: he threatens Hanumān with death for lying and demands the true motive for entering his residence.
Steadfast adherence to truth and mission: Hanumān must answer with integrity while representing Rāma’s cause, showing disciplined speech under pressure.