Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 94, Shloka 19
चित्रकूटवर्णनम् (Description of Chitrakūṭa) / Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta
इदमेवामृतं प्राहू राज्ञि राजर्षयः परे।वनवासं भवार्थाय प्रेत्य मे प्रपितामहाः।।।।
idam evāmṛtaṃ prāhur rājñi rājarṣayaḥ pare | vanavāsaṃ bhavārthāya pretya me prapitāmahāḥ ||
My forefathers—those ancient royal sages—declared that for a king, this very forest-dwelling is like nectar, bringing spiritual welfare and a higher state after death.
My greatgrandfathers and ancient royal sages used to say that living in the forest is like enjoying nectar for a king for the best existence after death.
FAQs
Dharma is portrayed as disciplined acceptance of hardship for a higher good: forest-life, when embraced in truth and restraint, becomes spiritually fruitful—even ‘nectar’—rather than mere suffering.
Rāma encourages Sītā during their stay at Citrakūṭa by citing ancestral tradition that values forest-dwelling as beneficial for a ruler’s spiritual destiny.
Rāma’s steadiness (dhṛti) and reverence for tradition—he interprets exile through the lens of inherited wisdom and ethical purpose.