त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः
Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha
मूलं ह्येष मनुष्याणां धर्मसारो महाद्युतिः।पुष्पं फलं च पत्रं च शाखाश्चास्येतरे जनाः।।।।
mūlaṃ hy eṣa manuṣyāṇāṃ dharmasāro mahādyutiḥ | puṣpaṃ phalaṃ ca patraṃ ca śākhāś cāsyetare janāḥ ||
Beliaulah akar umat manusia—bercahaya agung, inti sari dharma; sedangkan orang-orang lainnya laksana bunga, buah, daun, dan cabang-cabangnya.
Effulgent Rama personifies the essence of dharma. He is the root of (the tree of) humanity. The other people are connected with this tree like flowers, fruit, leaves and branches.
Dharma is envisioned as rooted in a living exemplar: when a society has a dharmic model at its root, the rest of life (institutions and people) can flourish as branches and fruits.
In public discourse around the exile, Rāma is elevated as the moral foundation of the kingdom and even of human society.
Rāma’s identity as dharmasāra—his life embodies righteousness so fully that others draw moral nourishment from him.