Shloka 2.39.11
एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma
एवं मन्ये गुणवतां गुणानां फलमुच्यते।पित्रा मात्रा च यत्साधुर्वीरो निर्वास्यते वनम्।।2.39.11।।
evaṃ manye guṇavatāṃ guṇānāṃ phalam ucyate | pitrā mātrā ca yat sādhur vīro nirvāsyate vanam || 2.39.11 ||
I think this is what people call the ‘reward’ of virtues in the virtuous—that such a righteous and heroic son is banished to the forest by his own father and mother.
That the pious and heroic son is banished by his parents to the forest is, I think, the reward to the virtuous for his virtues.
The verse highlights the paradox of dharma in the world: virtue does not always yield immediate comfort; righteousness may be tested through suffering, yet remains the standard of truth and conduct.
As arrangements for exile proceed, Sumantra reflects bitterly on the irony that a righteous hero like Rāma is being sent to the forest by his own parents.
Rāma’s goodness and heroism are affirmed, while Sumantra’s moral sensitivity and grief at injustice are emphasized.