Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 109: Rāma Refutes Jābāli
Text 2.109.16
सोऽहं पितुर्नियोगं तु किमर्थं नानुपालये।
सत्यप्रतिश्रवः सत्यं सत्येन समयीकृतः॥
so ’haṁ pitur niyogaṁ tu kim arthaṁ nānupālaye
satya-pratiśravaḥ satyaṁ satyena samayī-kṛtaḥ
saḥ = he; aham = I; pituḥ = My father’s; niyogam tu = order; kim artham = why should; na = not; anupālaye = follow; satya-pratiśravaḥ = who was truthful to his promises; satyam = to the truth; satyena = by the principles of truthfulness; samayī-kṛtaḥ = became obliged.
Why should I not follow My father’s order? He who was truthful to his promises became obliged to the truth by the principle of truthfulness.