Valmiki Ramayana 2.109.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 18
सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्
Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali
असत्यसन्धस्य सतश्चलस्यास्थिरचेतसः ।
नैव देवा न पितरः प्रतीच्छन्तीति नः श्रुतम् ॥१८॥
asatya-sandhasya sataś calasyāsthira-cetasaḥ |
naiva devā na pitaraḥ pratīcchantīti naḥ śrutam ||18||
हमने सुना है कि जो झूठा होता है, उसका मन हिलता-दुलता रहता है। उसकी बात पक्की नहीं होती। ऐसे लोगों की पूजा न देवता मानते हैं, न पूर्वज। कोई भी उनकी बात सुनीति नहीं।
We have heard that the offerings of a man inclined to untruth, of an unstable and unsteady mind are accepted neither by the gods nor by the ancestors.
FAQs
Integrity is foundational: religious or social acts lose merit when performed by one whose inner commitment is to falsehood.
Rāma strengthens his refusal by invoking a traditional moral teaching: untruth undermines spiritual legitimacy.
Śīla (moral character) grounded in truthfulness and steadiness of mind.
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