Shloka 118
पम्पा
तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka
प्रवृत्तिर्लभ्यतां तावत्तस्य पापस्य रक्षसः।ततो हास्यति वा सीतां निधनं वा गमिष्यति।।।।
pravṛttir labhyatāṃ tāvat tasya pāpasya rakṣasaḥ | tato hāsyati vā sītāṃ nidhanaṃ vā gamiṣyati ||
तावत् तस्य पापस्य रक्षसः प्रवृत्तिः लभ्यताम्; ततः स सीतां दास्यति वा, निधनं वा गमिष्यति।
'Once the whereabouts of that sinful demon are known he will either deliver Sita or die.
FAQs
Dharma acts intelligently: before punishment or rescue, one must seek accurate knowledge (pravṛtti) and then pursue justice decisively.
Lakshmana outlines a practical sequence—locate Ravana first; the outcome will be Sita’s return or Ravana’s destruction.
Strategic clarity (nīti): disciplined prioritization of intelligence-gathering to fulfill a righteous goal.