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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.101.9

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: because people follow their rulers' example, a King's truthfulness matters to the whole community

2.101.9

kāmavṛttas tv ayaṃ lokaḥ kṛtsnaḥ samupavartate
yadvṛttāḥ santi rājānas tadvṛttāḥ santi hi prajāḥ

This entire world orders its conduct after the example (of its rulers); for of whatever conduct the kings are, of just that conduct are the subjects.

Words: kāmavṛttas tv — behaving after (the ruler's) example; ayaṃ lokaḥ — this world; kṛtsnaḥ — entire, whole; samupavartate — conducts itself, follows; yadvṛttāḥ — of whatever conduct; santi rājānas — the kings are; tadvṛttāḥ — of that same conduct; santi hi prajāḥ — are indeed the subjects

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.