नैव लोभान्न मोहाद्वा न ह्यज्ञानात्तमोऽन्वितः।
सेतुं सत्यस्य भेत्स्यामि गुरोः सत्यप्रतिश्रवः॥
naiva lobhān na mohād vā na hy ajñānāt tamo-’nvitaḥ
setuṁ satyasya bhetsyāmi guroḥ satya-pratiśravaḥ
na eva = not; lobhāt = out of greed for the kingdom; na = I won’t do so; mohāt vā = out of delusion of mind due to words of deception; na hi = I won’t do so; ajñānāt = out of ignorance; tamaḥ-anvitaḥ = in the mode of darkness; setum = the dam; satyasya = of truthfulness; bhetsyāmi = I will break; guroḥ = for the sake of My authority; satya-pratiśravaḥ = as one true to My promises.
As one true to My promises, for the sake of My authority, I will not break the dam of truthfulness out of greed for the kingdom. I won’t do so out of delusion of mind due to words of deception. I won’t do so out of ignorance in the mode of darkness.
“I will not break the dam of truthfulness” refers to His father’s words to Kaikeyī—kariṣyāmi tava prītiṁ sukṛtenāpi te śape: “On the strength of my pious credits, I promise you: I will do what you like.” (Rāmāyaṇa 2.10.36)