Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 20: Daśaratha Refuses to Give Rāma
Text 1.20.12
चतुर्णामात्मजानां हि प्रीतिः परमिका मम।
ज्येष्ठं धर्मप्रधानं च न रामं नेतुमर्हसि॥
caturṇām ātmajānāṁ hi prītiḥ paramikā mama
jyeṣṭhaṁ dharma-pradhānaṁ ca na rāmaṁ netum arhasi
caturṇām = out of my four; ātmajānām hi = sons; prītiḥ = love; paramikā = the greatest; mama = I have; jyeṣṭham = for Him who is the eldest [among Them]; dharma-pradhānam = who is intent on Vedic dharma; ca = and; na = not; rāmam = Rāma; netum = take; arhasi = you should.
Out of my four sons, I have the greatest love for Him who is the eldest [among Them] and who is intent on Vedic dharma. You should not take Rāma.
NOTE. Daśaratha has pure love for Rāma and therefore He is not aware of the supremacy of Lord Rāma. This is a feature of all pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa (and Rāmacandra) situated in higher forms of perfect pure devotional service, as noted by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his purport to Bhagavad-gītā 11.8 thus: “Devotees who are correctly situated in a transcendental relationship with Kṛṣṇa are attracted by loving features, not by a godless display of opulences. The playmates of Kṛṣṇa, the friends of Kṛṣṇa and the parents of Kṛṣṇa never want Kṛṣṇa to show His opulences. They are so immersed in pure love that they do not even know that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In their loving exchange they forget that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord.”