Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 108, Shloka 2
जाबाल्युपदेशः
Jabali’s Pragmatic Counsel to Rama
साधु राघव माऽभूत्ते बुध्दिरेवं निरर्थिका।प्राकृतस्य नरस्येव ह्यार्यबुद्धेर्मनस्विनः।।।।
sādhu rāghava mā bhūt te buddhir evaṁ nirarthikā |
prākṛtasya narasyeva hy āryabuddher manasvinaḥ ||
Ô Rāghava, qu’une pensée si vaine ne s’élève pas en toi ; toi dont le jugement est noble et l’esprit magnanime, ne pense pas comme un homme ordinaire.
If something eaten by one in this world can enter the body of another, then a shraddha can be performed for a person who has set out on a distant journey. Will that offering turn into food for him on his way?
FAQs
Dharma here is the call to uphold noble discernment and not fall into shallow, self-centered reasoning; a righteous person must think in a way worthy of their moral stature.
In the closing exchange of Sarga 108, Bharata addresses Rāma, urging him not to adopt a misguided line of thought and to act in a manner befitting his nobility.
Ārya-buddhi (noble judgment) and steadiness of mind—thinking responsibly rather than impulsively or cynically.