Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 7
भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival
Chitrakuta Encampment
नेयं मम मही सौम्य दुर्लभा सागराम्बरा।न हीच्छेयमधर्मेण शक्रत्वमपि लक्ष्मण।।।।
na iyaṃ mama mahī saumya durlabhā sāgarāmbarā |
na hi iccheyam adharmeṇa śakratvam api lakṣmaṇa ||
O gentle Lakṣmaṇa, this earth—girt by the ocean—is not hard for me to obtain; yet I would not wish for even Indra’s sovereignty if it required unrighteousness.
O Lakshmana, on the oath of righteousness, I wish wealth and pleasure as well as this kingdom for the sake of you all.
FAQs
Dharma is superior to power: even the highest sovereignty is worthless if obtained through adharma.
Rāma responds to the tense moment of Bharata’s approach by reaffirming his absolute refusal to seek rule through wrongdoing.
Moral steadfastness—Rāma’s commitment to righteousness is non-negotiable.