Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 34: Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā Meet Daśaratha
Text 2.34.28
भवान्वर्षसहस्राय पृथिव्या नृपते पतिः।
अहं त्वरण्ये वत्स्यामि न मे कार्यं त्वयानृतम्॥
bhavān varṣa-sahasrāya pṛthivyā nṛpate patiḥ
ahaṁ tv araṇye vatsyāmi na me kāryaṁ tvayānṛtam
bhavān = you; varṣa-sahasrāya = for a thousand years; pṛthivyāḥ = of earth; nṛpate = O king; patiḥ = [should be] the master; aham tu = I; araṇye = in the forest; vatsyāmi = will stay; na = not; me = for My sake; kāryam tvayā anṛtam = you should speak untruth.
O king, you [should be] the master of earth for a thousand years. I will stay in the forest. You should not speak untruth for My sake.1
1 Rāma did not want Daśaratha’s promise to Kaikeyī to remain unfulfilled, which would happen if Rāma arrests Daśaratha and takes over the throne of Ayodhyā.
“A thousand years” means “many years” [in this context].
GLOSS. Rāma did not want to restrain His father who had already ruled the kingdom for a long time and rule it Himself.