Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 119, Shloka 7
सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः
Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha
पृथकस्त्रीणांप्रचारेणजातिंत्वंपरिशङ्कसे ।परित्यजैनांशङ्कांतुयदितेऽहंपरीक्षिता ।।।।
pṛthak strīṇāṃ pracāreṇa jātiṃ tvaṃ pariśaṅkase | parityajaināṃ śaṅkāṃ tu yadi te 'haṃ parīkṣitā ||
Dahil sa asal ng ilang babae, pinaghihinalaan mo ang buong pagkababae; talikdan mo ang pagdududang iyan—kung tunay ngang nasubok mo na ako.
"You give up judging all womankind by the path followed by vulgar women. You give up these doubts if you have examined."
FAQs
Dharma demands nyāya (fair judgement): one should not condemn an entire group based on the wrongdoing of a few; truth requires case-by-case discernment.
Sītā challenges the logic behind Rāma’s suspicion, pointing out the injustice of generalizing about all women.
Rational moral argument (viveka) and courage—Sītā argues for justice without surrendering her dignity.