न सत्यं दानमानौ वा न यज्ञाश्चाप्तदक्षिणाः।
तथा बलकराः सीते यथा सेवा पितुर्हिता॥
na satyaṁ dāna-mānau vā na yajñāś cāpta-dakṣiṇāḥ
tathā balakarāḥ sīte yathā sevā pitur hitā
na = neither; satyam = truthfulness; dāna-mānau vā = charity or honoring [authorities] ; na = nor; yajñāḥ = fire sacrifices; ca = and; āpta-dakṣiṇāḥ tathā = gifts to trustworthy recipients; balakarāḥ = strengthen one; sīte = Sītā; yathā = as much as; sevā = service; pituḥ = to one’s father; hitā = beneficial.
Sītā, neither truthfulness, charity or honoring [authorities], nor fire sacrifices and gifts to trustworthy recipients strengthen one as much as beneficial service to one’s father.
1 This does not mean that truthfulness and other pious activities can be neglected. Service to the dhārmika instructions of one’s father is superior to these pious activities, but they can’t be neglected. Lord Rāmacandra will Himself demonstrate on a number of occasions, His adherence to these other pious activities too.
In this verse, Lord Rāma points out superiority of [carrying out the dhārmika] instructions of one’s father to truthfulness and so on.
Balakarāḥ indicates that truthfulness and other pious activities do not result in superior prosperity in one’s next life in comparison to beneficial service to one’s father.1