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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.101.15

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 101: Rāma rejects Jābāli’s advice. A ruler’s actions guide his subjects, truth sustains trust and no worldly gain justifies breaking his father’s promise

In the sequence: he will not break the commitment to his father for gain or convenience

2.101.15

ekaḥ pālayate lokam ekaḥ pālayate kulam
majjaty eko hi niraya ekaḥ svarge mahīyate

Alone a man upholds the world, alone he upholds his family; alone he sinks into hell, and alone he is exalted in heaven.

Words: ekaḥ — one (alone); pālayate — protects, upholds; lokam — the world; ekaḥ — one (alone); pālayate — protects, upholds; kulam — the family; majjaty eko hi — for alone one sinks; niraya — in hell; ekaḥ — one (alone); svarge — in heaven; mahīyate — is exalted, glorified

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.