सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्माश्रिता सदा।

कुलीनमकुलीनं वा वीरं पुरुषमानिनम्।

चारित्रमेव व्याक्याति शुचिं वा यदि वाशुचिम्॥

ayodhyaa kaande 109- 4 Rama to Jabaali

सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्माश्रिता सदा।

सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम्॥

Ak 109-13

श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे

kulīnamakulīnaṁ vā vīraṁ puruṣamāninam|

cāritrameva vyākyāti śuciṁ vā yadi vāśucim||

satyameveśvaro loke satyaṃ padmāśritā sadā।

satyamūlāni sarvāṇi satyānnāsti paraṃ padam ||

śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe

Rama, during the initial lap of his sojourn in forest, is approached by his brother Bharatha and the citizens of Ayodhya with a request that he should return to the Capital and assume the positon of the emperor. Rama, who is steadfast with his resolves declines to return, before completing his stint in the forest and fulfilling the solemn promise given to his father the Emeperor Dasaratha.

During the various sessions of discussion on the issue with Bharatha and others, a senior scholar and political expert Jabali, who is basically an atheist, tries to present the idea that only material benefits and expediency should govern out actions and stiff adherence to moral laws was of no use.

Rama is in total disagreement with the views of Jabali.

The two slokas quoted above come as Rama’s views on dignified living and honesty

A person may be born in a reputed and lofty family or clan, or he may have no claims of high birth, A person may be very strong and valorous or he may be considering himself as valorous and is entertaining great pride about his status and manliness, A person may be pure and honest in absolute terms or he may be not that clean and pure.. What decided his status and his genuine worth is his character alone. Yes, it takes a lot of character and steadfastness to maintain his dignity and purity at any cost.

Truth, honesty in all dealings is the embodiment and manifestation of the Supreme beings, the All-pervading divinity. Truth is the abode of Padma, Goddess Lakshmi, who occupies a lotus and who owns the ultimate treasures like Padmanidhi. All human beings, their lives, welfare and all that they own, just exist and survive on the strength of truth. And there is nothing In this universe that is better than or loftier than an existence in the brilliant glow of truth.

Maybe, we cannot expect anything other than this from Rama the epitome of virtue and honesty. Maybe it would read like a sermon. Ultimately, it takes a lot of character to live the life of honesty even on the face of impossible adversities.

K v a

कुलीनम् born in a high family अकुलीनं वा or having no claim for lofty birth , वीरम् who is brave and strong , पुरुषमानिनम् who is genuinely proud of his existence as a manly person , शुचिं वा pure or honest लोके in this world, अशुचिं not so pure, dishonest, चारित्रमेव character alone, व्याख्याति defines

सत्यमेव truth, honesty alone only, ईश्वरः is God, the ubiquitous supreme being पद्मा goddess of wealth, the lady occupying the lotus and possessing the padmanidhi, the controller of all wealth and treasures सदा evers सत्यम् in truth, आश्रिता seeks refuge, resides सर्वाणि all beings, all things सत्यमूलानि truth as the root cause and motivator सत्यात् over and above truth , परम् supreme, ultimate ,पदम् higher state, state that one could aspire to reach नास्ति there is nothing.