तात कृपा करि कीजिय सोई । जातें अवध अनाथ न होई ॥
मंत्रहि राम उठाइ प्रबोधा । तात धरम-मत तुम्ह सब सोधा ॥
tāta kṛpā kari kījiya soī | jāteṃ avadha anātha na hoī ||
maṃtrahi rāma uṭhāi prabodhā | tāta dharama-mata tumha saba sodhā ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 95: Rama tells Sumantra truth is supreme dharma
5 verses · 95 of 326
What happens in this chapter
Rama tells Sumantra truth is supreme dharma
Sumantra begs Rama to act so that Ayodhya is not left orphaned. Rama raises him and explains. You have weighed every view of dharma. Shibi, Dadhichi and King Harishchandra bore countless hardships for it; Rantideva and Bali held to it through many troubles. The Vedas, Agamas and Puranas declare that no dharma equals truth. I have found that dharma easily; abandoning it would spread my disgrace through the three worlds, and for a man of honour disgrace burns worse than a million deaths. What more can I say? Answering back would itself be a sin. Clasp my father's feet, offer countless salutations, and pray with joined palms that he not worry about me at all.
सिबि दधीचि हरिचन्द नरेसा । सहे धरम हित कोटि कलेसा ॥
रन्तिदेव बलि भूप सुजाना । धरम धरेउ सहि सङ्कट नाना ॥
sibi dadhīci haricanda naresā | sahe dharama hita koṭi kalesā ||
rantideva bali bhūpa sujānā | dharama dhareu sahi saṅkaṭa nānā ||
धरम न दूसर सत्य समाना । आगम निगम पुरान बखाना ॥
मैं सोइ धरम सुलभ करि पावा । तजें तिहूँ पुर अपजस छावा ॥
dharama na dūsara satya samānā | āgama nigama purāna bakhānā ||
maiṃ soi dharama sulabha kari pāvā | tajeṃ tihūm̐ pura apajasa chāvā ||
सम्भावित कह अपजस लाहू । मरन कोटि सम दारुन दाहू ॥
तुम्ह सन तात बहुत का कहऊँ । दिये उत्तर फिरि पातक लहऊँ ॥
sambhāvita kaha apajasa lāhū | marana koṭi sama dāruna dāhū ||
tumha sana tāta bahuta kā kahaūm̐ | diye uttara phiri pātaka lahaūm̐ ||
पितु पद गहि कहि कोटि नति, बिनय करब कर जोरि ।
चिन्ता कवनिहु बात के, तात करिय जनि मोरि ॥
pitu pada gahi kahi koṭi nati, binaya karaba kara jori |
cintā kavanihu bāta ke, tāta kariya jani mori ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0