Shloka 2.109.35
सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम् (Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali)
त्वत्तो जनाः पूर्वतरे द्विजाच्श्र शुभानि कर्माणि बहूनि चक्रुः।
जित्वा सदेमं च परं च लोकं तस्माव्दिजा स्वस्ति हुतं कृतं च।।2.109.35।।
kulīnam akulīnaṃ vā vīraṃ puruṣamāninam |
cāritram eva vyākhyāti śuciṃ vā yadi vā'śucim || 2.109.4 ||
Whether a man is truly high-born or not, truly brave or merely vain of his manhood, pure or impure—character alone reveals it.
Men superior to you in preceding generations had conquered this world and the other world by always performing many auspicious acts. Twice-born brahmins perform religious acts and offer libations for the welfare of the world.
Dharma is measured by lived conduct (cāritra), not by birth-status, outward reputation, or self-asserted masculinity.
In the forest-exile episode, Rāma responds to counsel by grounding his position in dharma: social labels and claims are secondary to moral character.
Integrity—inner moral consistency that makes purity, nobility, and courage genuine rather than performative.