Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 109, Shloka 4
सत्यधर्मप्रतिपादनम्
Rama’s Defense of Truth and Dharma in Reply to Jabali
कुलीनमकुलीनं वा वीरं पुरुषमानिनम्।चारित्रमेव व्याख्याति शुचिं वा यदि वाऽशुचिम्।।2.109.4।।
kulīnam akulīnaṃ vā vīraṃ puruṣamāninam |
cāritram eva vyākhyāti śuciṃ vā yadi vā'śucim || 2.109.4 ||
មិនថាបុរសនោះកើតក្នុងត្រកូលខ្ពង់ខ្ពស់ឬមិនខ្ពស់ ជាវីរបុរសពិតឬគ្រាន់តែអួតអាងភាពជាបុរស សុចរិតឬមិនសុចរិត—មានតែ “ចរិត និងការប្រព្រឹត្ត” ប៉ុណ្ណោះដែលបង្ហាញការពិត។
Men superior to you in preceding generations had conquered this world and the other world by always performing many auspicious acts. Twice-born brahmins perform religious acts and offer libations for the welfare of the world.
FAQs
Dharma is measured by lived conduct (cāritra), not by birth-status, outward reputation, or self-asserted masculinity.
In the forest-exile episode, Rāma responds to counsel by grounding his position in dharma: social labels and claims are secondary to moral character.
Integrity—inner moral consistency that makes purity, nobility, and courage genuine rather than performative.