Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 27
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
न वै वेद महाभाग भवान् कामवशं गत: । तेजोऽनुभावं सीताया येन नीतो दशामिमाम् ॥ २७ ॥
na vai veda mahā-bhāga bhavān kāma-vaśaṁ gataḥ tejo ’nubhāvaṁ sītāyā yena nīto daśām imām
โอ้ ผู้มีบุญมาก ท่านตกอยู่ ภายใต้อำนาจของตัณหา จึงไม่อาจเข้าใจถึงอานุภาพของนางสีดา บัดนี้เพราะคำสาปของนาง ท่านจึงถูกพระรามสังหารและตกอยู่ในสภาพเช่นนี้
Not only was mother Sītā powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of mother Sītā can also become similarly powerful. There are many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sītā is among them. Mandodarī, the wife of Rāvaṇa, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadī was one of five exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great personalities like Brahmā and Nārada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sītā, Mandodarī and Draupadī. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural power. It is a moral principle that one should not be influenced by lusty desires for another’s wife. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu: an intelligent person must look upon another’s wife as being like his mother. This is a moral injunction from Cāṇakya-śloka (10).
FAQs
This verse states that when one comes under the control of lust, one fails to recognize spiritual reality—here, the divine potency of Sītā—and is led into ruin.
The verse highlights Sītā’s spiritual splendor and potency, implying she is not an ordinary woman; offending her brings immediate and inevitable consequences.
Guard against desire-driven decisions; when passions take over, discernment collapses—so practice self-control, keep saintly association, and align choices with dharma.