Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 14, Shloka 12
विभीषणोपदेशः
Vibhīṣaṇa’s Counsel to Rāvaṇa and the Rākṣasa Court
धर्मप्रधानस्यमहारथस्यइक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवस्यराज्ञः ।पुरोस्यदेवाश्चतथाविधस्यकृत्येषुशक्तस्यभवन्तिमूढा ।।।।
dharmapradhānasya mahārathasya ikṣvākuvaṁśa-prabhavasya rājñaḥ | puro ’sya devāś ca tathāvidhasya kṛtyeṣu śaktasya bhavanti mūḍhāḥ ||
Sa haring yaon—isinilang sa angkan ng Ikṣvāku, dakilang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe, na ang dharma ang laging una, at makapangyarihan sa mga pasyang dapat gawin—maging ang mga deva noon ay minsang nalito. Ano pa ang magagawa ninyo laban sa kanya?
"One to whom righteousness is foremost, who is capable of fighting with eleven thousand warriors as charioteer, (like Dasaratha) who is a glorious scion of Ikshvaku dynasty, who is highly capable in war, in front of whom even gods got bewildered earlier. What can be done by you?"
FAQs
True strength is grounded in dharma: Rāma’s power is portrayed as inseparable from righteousness, implying that unrighteous aggression collapses before dharmic authority.
In Laṅkā’s war-council atmosphere, a speaker warns that Rāma’s prowess and dharmic stature have overwhelmed even divine opponents, making boasting against him reckless.
Rāma’s dharma-niṣṭhā (steadfast prioritizing of righteousness) combined with effective, purposeful action (kṛtyeṣu śakti).