Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown Prince
Text 2.1.11

कथञ्चिदुपकारेण कृतेनैकेन तुष्यति।
न स्मरत्यपकाराणां शतमप्यात्मवत्तया॥

kathañcid upakāreṇa kṛtenaikena tuṣyati
na smaraty apakārāṇāṁ śatam apy ātmavattayā

kathañcit = of slight; upakāreṇa = help rendered to Him; kṛtena = act; ekena = with even a single; tuṣyati = He was satisfied; na = not; smarati = and He did consider; apakārāṇām = offenses to Him; śatam = a hundred; api = even; ātmavattayā = because of His self-discipline and determination.

Because of His self-discipline and determination, He was satisfied with even a single act of slight help rendered to Him and He did not consider even a hundred offenses to Him.1


1. Some demigods are described as having four or more arms.

Śrī Vālmīki now describes Lord Rāma’s gratitude here.

He was satisfied, that is, always pleased with an act of help rendered to Him, even if that act was performed in any manner with a gift of a mere leaf, flower and so on, incidentally, with an ulterior motive, or unwillingly. Even if one performs some service to the Supreme Lord incidentally, He is pleased:

sāṅketyaṁ pārihāsyaṁ vā stobhaṁ helanam eva vā
vaikuṇṭha-nāma-grahaṇam aśeṣāgha-haraṁ viduḥ

“One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly [to indicate something else], jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully. This is accepted by all the learned scholars of the scriptures.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.2.14)

Upakāreṇa (“help rendered to Him”) refers to even a tiny act [of service]. The Supreme Personality of Godhead considers even such an act to be a great act of help.

Kṛtena indicates that even if one desires to render some service [to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is pleased with that person.] 2 And even if he renders a service only once, the  Supreme Lord is pleased with that person. And the result of  pleasing the Lord is inexhaustible.

Alright, Lord Rāma was satisfied with help rendered to Him. Was He angry with offenses to Him? No. He did not even consider even a hundred, that is, innumerable, full-fledged offenses to Him 3. Then where is the scope of His anger coming into being?

The reason for the above is His self-discipline, that is, His control of His mind, and His determination which is expressed thus:

udārāḥ sarvaivete

“All these [souls who surrender unto Me irrespective of their motives] are undoubtedly magnanimous souls.” (Bhagavad-gītā 7.18)

pāpānāṁ vā śubhānāṁ vā vadhārhāṇāṁ plavaṅgama
kāryaṁ kāruṇyam āryeṇa na kaścin nāparādhyati

“O monkey, a noble person should be compassionate upon all who deserve to be killed, whether they are sinful or pious. Nobody is free from faults.” (Rāmāyaṇa 6.116.45)