Shloka 19
मारीचवधोत्तरं रामस्य शङ्का-निमित्त-दर्शनं लक्ष्मण-निग्रहश्च
After Maricha’s Slaying: Omens, Anxiety, and Rama’s Rebuke of Lakshmana
न मेऽस्ति संशयो वीर सर्वथा जनकात्मजा।।।।विनष्टा भक्षिता वापि राक्षसैर्वनचारिभिः।अशुभान्येव भूयिष्ठं यथा प्रादुर्भवन्ति मे।।।।
na me ’sti saṃśayo vīra sarvathā janakātmajā |
vinaṣṭā bhakṣitā vāpi rākṣasair vanacāribhiḥ |
aśubhāny eva bhūyiṣṭhaṃ yathā prādurbhavanti me ||
Hỡi dũng sĩ, ta không còn nghi ngờ gì nữa: ái nữ của Janaka ắt đã gặp tai ương—hoặc lạc mất, hoặc đã bị bọn rākṣasa lang thang trong rừng nuốt chửng. Vì trước mắt ta, điềm dữ cứ dồn dập hiện ra không ngừng.
O heroic Lakshmana I see many inauspicious omens. I think Sita might have been lost or eaten away by the demons of the forest. There is no doubt about it.
FAQs
Dharma under crisis: when danger is suspected, one must respond with urgency and truthful assessment, not denial—protective action follows clear recognition.
Seeing omens and Sītā’s absence, Rāma voices a grim suspicion that rākṣasas have harmed or taken her.
Rāma’s truth-orientation (satya-bhāva) even when painful—he confronts the worst possibility to drive decisive action.