यानि मिथ्याभिशस्तानां पतन्त्यश्रूणि राघव

यानि मिथ्याभिशस्तानां पतन्त्यश्रूणि राघव।

तानि पुत्रपशून् घ्नन्ति प्रीत्यर्थमनुशासतः॥

वाल्मीकिरामायणे २-१००-५९

yāni mithyābhiśastānāṁ patantyaśrūṇi rāghava|

tāni putrapaśūn ghnanti prītyarthamanuśāsataḥ||

vālmīkirāmāyaṇe 2-100-59

Valmikiramayana.. Ayodhayakandam.. Chapter 100 sloka 59

( the sloka number is 60 in some editions.)

Rama adjourns for a life in exile in the forest for fourteen years, in obedience to the desires of his father Dasaratha.

Rama had abdicated temporarily in favour of his younger brother Bharatha.

Bharatha was not aware of this as he was away in his maternal uncles palace when Rama took the decision..

Bharatha, after losing his father too as a result of Rama's departure, proceeds to the forest to meet Rama with a request for Rama's return as the King of Ayodhya.

Rama was not inclined to return, but received his younger brother with all affection and the brothers were discussing the nuances of statecraft.

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Rama tells Bharatha..

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My dear brother and the eminent son of Raghu Clan (Bharatha)

always keep in mind the fact that if a ruler metes out punishment to any of his subjects just prodded by his whims and fancies and not according to the eternal laws of dharma and without verifying whether they were really guilty

,

then sure, the tears of grief that flow from the eyes of the helpless victims would destroy the clan of the king with all the children and would also destroy all his wealth in the shape of cattle and other animals

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Monarchy or democracy, the traditions in India was that the ruler or the administration should look after the interests of the subjects or citizen with all fairness and impartiality, with strict adherence to law and precedents..

Whimsical actions were never permitted.

regards

k v ananthanarayanan