गुरुश्च राजा च पिता च वृद्धः क्रोधात्प्रहर्षाद्यदि वापि कामात्॥
यव्द्यादिशेत्कार्यमवेक्ष्य धर्मं कस्तं न कुर्यादनृशंसवृत्तिः॥
guruś ca rājā ca pitā ca vṛddhaḥ
krodhāt praharṣād yadi vāpi kāmāt
yad vyādiśet kāryam avekṣya dharmaṁ
kas taṁ na kuryād anṛśaṁsa-vṛttiḥ
guruḥ ca = one’s guru; rājā ca = king; pitā = father; ca = and; vṛddhaḥ = superior; krodhāt = out of anger; praharṣāt = delight; yadi vā api = even; kāmāt = or lust; yat = that; vyādiśet = orders; kāryam = an activity; avekṣya = upon realizing that; dharmam = is dhārmika; kaḥ = which person; tam = it; na = not; kuryāt = would carry out; anṛśaṁsa-vṛttiḥ = of gentle deeds.
Which person of gentle deeds would not carry out an activity that one’s guru, king, father and superior orders, even out of anger, delight or lust, after realizing that it is dhārmika?
1 Daśaratha did not instruct Rāma to engage in any forbidden activity of adharma too. This is another way of saying that his instruction was in line with dharma. Lord Rāma is neutrally and rationally analyzing the nature of the instructions of His father and mother. Thus He teaches us to not be emotionally disoriented in carrying out our specific and common obligations as per Vedic dharma.
[Daśaratha was Rāma’s guru] because he instructed Him in Dhanurveda, Artha-śāstra and so on. His instruction was in line with dharma because it was to fulfill a promise he had made.1 “Which mild person would not carry out” indicates that a person who would not carry out [a dhārmika instruction by his guru or king or father or superior] is cruel in deeds.