Chapter 50 — Aranya Kanda, Sarga 50

Valmiki Ramayana — Aranya Kanda

Verse 50.6

कथं राजा स्थितो धर्मे परदारान् परामशेत्॥ रक्षणीया विशेषेण राजदारा महाबल। निवर्तय गतिं नीचां परदाराभिमर्शनात्॥ न तत् समाचरेद् धीरो यत् परोऽस्य विगर्हयेत्। यथाऽऽत्मनस्तथोन्येषां दारा रक्ष्या विमर्शनात्॥

kathaṃ rājā sthito dharme paradārān parāmaśet|| rakṣaṇīyā viśeṣeṇa rājadārā mahābala| nivartaya gatiṃ nīcāṃ paradārābhimarśanāt|| na tat samācared dhīro yat paro'sya vigarhayet| yathā''tmanastathonyeṣāṃ dārā rakṣyā vimarśanāt||

English Meaning

How do you yourself being a monarch and engaged in the royal office of maintaining subjects, carry away by stealth another's wife? O you of mighty prowess, you should specially protect the wives of kings. Do you therefore control your base inclination of oppressing another's wife. A hero does never perform what bring calumny upon himself. It becometh every individual to save another's wife from the touch of a second man like to his own wife.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)