The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 5: Chapter 53

This is a passage from the *Valmiki Ramayana*, one of ancient India's two foundational Sanskrit epics, presented here in both Roman transliteration and Devanagari script. It belongs to the *Sundarakanda* (Book 5) and depicts the monkey-hero Hanuman's psychological crisis immediately after he has set the demon-city of Lanka ablaze. The central content is Hanuman's intense self-recrimination: having burned Lanka to punish its demon inhabitants, he fears he may have inadvertently incinerated Sita — the very woman he was sent to locate. He catalogues the catastrophic chain of consequences this would trigger, from Rama's death to the destruction of the Ikshvaku royal dynasty and all its subjects, and seriously contemplates suicide by drowning or throwing himself into fire. The passage's most distinctive move is the rational counter-argument Hanuman constructs against his own despair: he reasons that Sita's chastity, ascetic power (*tapas*), and unwavering devotion to Rama constitute a spiritual protection so absolute that fire itself cannot touch her — "fire does not burn in fire." The argument is both theological and logical, grounding Sita's miraculous survival in dharmic cause and effect rather than mere divine intervention. The passage resolves when Hanuman overhears celestial beings (*charanas*) marveling aloud that Lanka burned but Sita survived, confirming his reasoning. Reassured by omens and this testimony, he reaffirms she is safe and resolves to return to Rama — completing one of Sanskrit literature's most psychologically rich episodes of heroic doubt, guilt, and recovery.

The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 5: Chapter 53

Related pages View as graph →