Shloka 4.8.41
मैत्रीप्रतिज्ञा-वैरकारणप्रश्नः (Friendship Vow and Inquiry into the Cause of Enmity)
श्रुत्वैतद्वचनं रामस्सुग्रीवमिदमब्रवीत्।किं निमित्तमभूद्वैरं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः।।
eṣa me rāma śokāntaḥ śokārtena niveditaḥ |
duḥkhitaḥ sukhito vāpi sakhyur nityaṁ sakhā gatiḥ ||
O Rāma, I, stricken with grief, have laid before you the end of my sorrow. In distress or in happiness, for a friend, a friend is ever the refuge.
After hearing Sugriva, Rama said 'I wish to know the actual cause of this enmity.
Dharma highlights steadfast friendship: loyalty is not conditional on circumstances; a true friend remains a refuge in both joy and sorrow.
Sugrīva concludes his appeal, stating that his deliverance depends on Rāma, and affirming the protective duty inherent in friendship.
Constancy in friendship—dependability as a moral obligation rather than a convenience.