मिथ्यावाक्यं न ते भूतं न भविष्यति राघव।
कुतोऽभिलाषणं स्त्रीणां परेषां धर्मनाशनम्॥
mithyā-vākyaṁ na te bhūtaṁ na bhaviṣyati rāghava
kuto ’bhilāṣaṇaṁ strīṇāṁ pareṣāṁ dharma-nāśanam
mithyā-vākyam = false in speech; na = never; te = You; bhūtam = have been; na = nor; bhaviṣyati = will You ever be; rāghava = Rāghava; kutaḥ = where is the question of; abhilāṣaṇam = [You] hankering; strīṇām = for women; pareṣām = belonging to other men; dharma-nāśanam = an act that destroys piety.
Rāghava, You have never been, nor will You ever be, false in speech. Where is the question of [You] hankering for women belonging to other men—an act that destroys piety?
1 In other words, Lord Rāma has never been false in speech, will never be false in speech and is not false in speech.
2 “Destroys piety” means “destroys pious credits” and “generates impiety” means “generates sinful reactions.”
3 The Supreme Personality of Godhead never ever breaks dharma. See Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s extensive purport to Brahma-saṁhitā 5.37 where He meticulously establishes this very conclusion with regards to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with the young gopīs.
By referring to the past and future, she also includes the present.1
“Where is the question of” indicates that it is impossible for Rāmacandra to hanker for women belonging to others. [Such] hankering destroys piety and generates impiety; this indicates that approaching other women is worse [than falsity in speech]. It is implied that falsity in speech [only] generates impiety, [but] approaching women belonging to other men destroys piety and generates impiety.2
GLOSS. “Hankering for women belonging to other men” refers to intentionally establishing a relationship with them. “Where is the question of [You] hankering” means “For no reason whatsoever will [You] ever hanker.”
In His original form, He has no relationship with anyone else’s woman. Despite this, can’t He have [such relationships] on earth? The second line of this verse answers this question.3