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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.101.17

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

2.101.17

naiva lobhān na mohād vā na cājñānāt tamo'nvitaḥ
setuṃ satyasya bhetsyāmi guroḥ satyapratiśravaḥ

Neither from greed, nor from delusion, nor from ignorance shrouded in darkness, shall I breach the dyke of the truth (I gave) to my father — I who am bound by my true pledge.

Words: naiva lobhān — not from greed; na mohād vā — nor from delusion; na cājñānāt — nor from ignorance; tamo'nvitaḥ — enveloped in darkness; setuṃ satyasya — the dyke of truth; bhetsyāmi — shall I breach, break; guroḥ — of/to my father, elder; satyapratiśravaḥ — bound by my true pledge

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.