देवकल्पमृजुं दान्तं रिपूणामपि वत्सलम्।
अवेक्षमाणः को धर्मं त्यजेत्पुत्रमकारणात्॥
deva-kalpam ṛjuṁ dāntaṁ ripūṇām api vatsalam
avekṣamāṇaḥ ko dharmaṁ tyajet putram akāraṇāt
deva-kalpam = when He is like God; ṛjum = straightforward; dāntam = disciplined; ripūṇām = to those hostile to Him; api = even; vatsalam = and affectionate; avekṣamāṇaḥ = considering; kaḥ = who; dharmam = dharma; tyajet = would abandon; putram = his son; akāraṇāt = for no reason.
Who, considering dharma, would abandon his son for no reason when He is like God, straightforward, disciplined and even affectionate to those hostile to Him?
1 Bhagavān Rāmacandra was the very antithesis of a sick despotic tyrant ridiculed in democratic societies of today that describe corrupt monarchies in the last two millenia. He taught by His example that the state executive head must factually be both competent in his duties and be willing to sacrifice everything for others.
2 Lord Rāma did not reject His gurus’ authority. He didn’t reject His father’s authority even though King Daśaratha did not exactly behave like a pure Vaiṣṇava just because Rāma, as the supreme sāragrāhī observed that Daśaratha’s instructions regardless of why he issued them—were within the bounds of Vedic dharma. And this was also Lord Rāma’s attitude towards His other authorities, such as His gurus. And this is how He expects us to be also—sāragrāhī disciples of gurus who accept the authority of Vedic dharma and devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
And there is neither logical inference or sense perception [to establish that Rāma had any defect because of which He had to be banished to the forest]. That is noted here.
Deva-kalpam indicates that Rāma is eternally pure [like Lord Viṣṇu and unlike the jīvātmās who can be pure and who can be impure]. Ṛjum indicates that Rāma was straightforward in body, mind and words and that He followed the wishes of the citizens.1 Dāntam indicates that He was trained by His gurus.2 It also indicates that His senses were [fully] under His control. He was even affectionate to those hostile to Him like Kaikeyī.
Avekṣamāṇaḥ ko dharmaṁ tyajet putram akāraṇāt can also mean, “Which alert person would reject his own son, who is the very personification of dharma, for no reason, that is, for no fault of his?”