Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 25, Shloka 21
ताटकावृत्तान्तः
The Account of Tāṭakā and the Royal Duty to Protect
एतैश्चान्यैश्च बहुभी राजपुत्र महात्मभि:।अधर्मसहिता नार्यो हता: पुरुषसत्तमै:।।।।
etaiś cānyaiś ca bahubhi rāja-putra mahātmabhiḥ | adharma-sahitā nāryo hatāḥ puruṣa-sattamaiḥ ||
یوں، اے راج کمار، ان اور بہت سے دیگر مہاتما، مردوں کے سرداروں کے ہاتھوں، ادھرم سے وابستہ عورتیں دھرم کی خاطر قتل کی گئیں۔
'O Rama! In olden times, Kavya, the mother of Sukracharya, the wife of sage Bhrigu, was destroyed by Vishnu determined to destroy Indra.'
FAQs
Moral evaluation hinges on alignment with dharma vs. adharma; when a threat is rooted in adharma, even exceptional measures can be framed as protective duty.
Viśvāmitra concludes his argument by generalizing: many exemplary men have slain adharmic women when required for protection.
Impartial justice—responding to conduct and threat, not to gender or status.