Shloka 54
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
एकपत्नीव्रतधरो राजर्षिचरित: शुचि: । स्वधर्मं गृहमेधीयं शिक्षयन् स्वयमाचरत् ॥ ५४ ॥
eka-patnī-vrata-dharo rājarṣi-caritaḥ śuciḥ sva-dharmaṁ gṛha-medhīyaṁ śikṣayan svayam ācarat
Le Seigneur Rāmacandra fit vœu de n’avoir qu’une seule épouse et n’eut aucun lien avec d’autres femmes. Roi-sage à la conduite pure, il enseigna, surtout aux chefs de famille, la bonne conduite selon le varṇāśrama-dharma, en la pratiquant lui-même.
Eka-patnī-vrata, accepting only one wife, was the glorious example set by Lord Rāmacandra. One should not accept more than one wife. In those days, of course, people did marry more than one wife. Even Lord Rāmacandra’s father accepted more wives than one. But Lord Rāmacandra, as an ideal king, accepted only one wife, mother Sītā. When mother Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasas, Lord Rāmacandra, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, could have married hundreds and thousands of Sītās, but to teach us how faithful He was to His wife, He fought with Rāvaṇa and finally killed him. The Lord punished Rāvaṇa and rescued His wife to instruct men to have only one wife. Lord Rāmacandra accepted only one wife and manifested sublime character, thus setting an example for householders. A householder should live according to the ideal of Lord Rāmacandra, who showed how to be a perfect person. Being a householder or living with a wife and children is never condemned, provided one lives according to the regulative principles of varṇāśrama-dharma. Those who live in accordance with these principles, whether as householders, brahmacārīs or vānaprasthas, are all equally important.
FAQs
This verse praises the ideal ruler as one who strictly maintains fidelity to a single wife, presenting it as a mark of purity and exemplary dharmic conduct.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks, highlighting how a saintly king teaches household dharma not merely by instruction but by personally living it with purity and restraint.
By practicing integrity in relationships, living clean habits, and teaching family values through personal example—making dharma practical and visible at home.