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92
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
To his mother Kausalya who was thus
lamenting piteously, Rama, the righteous-
minded, uttered these words full of
righteousness :
 
नास्ति शक्तिः पितुर्वाक्यं समतिक्रमितुं मम ।
प्रसादये त्वां शिरसा गन्तुमिच्छाम्यहं वनम् ॥
 
"I cannot transgress my father's man-
date.
I crave your approval with bowed
head; I am desirous proceeding to the
forest.
 
पितुर्हि वचनं कुर्वन्न कश्चिन्नाम हीयते ॥
 
No one indeed suffers because of his
having carried out his father's mandate."
 
तामेवमुत्तवा जननीं लक्ष्मणं तुनरब्रवीत् ।
वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठः श्रेष्ठस्सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥
 
Having spoken to his mother thus,
Rama, the best of those well-versed in
speech and the foremost of all bow-men,
spoke then to Lakshmana:
 
धर्मो हि परमो लोके धर्मे सत्यं प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
धर्मसंश्रितमेतच्च पितुर्वचनमुत्तमम् ॥
 
"Dharma indeed is supreme in the
world. In dharma, is truth rooted. And
this, my father's command, based on
dharma is supreme.