Canto 3: Araṇya-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His PromisesText 3.10.22
Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His Promises
Text 3.10.22
सदृशं चानुरूपं च कुलस्य तव चात्मनः।
सधर्मचारिणी मे त्वं प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी॥
sadṛśaṁ cānurūpaṁ ca kulasya tava cātmanaḥ
sadharmacāriṇī me tvaṁ prāṇebhyo ’pi garīyasī
sadṛśam ca = are similar; anurūpam ca = and in accordance; kulasya = with your dynasty; tava ca = your [words]; ātmanaḥ = to you; sadharmacāriṇī = follow dharma with Me; me = My; tvam = you; prāṇebhyaḥ = than very life; api = though; garīyasī = are more valuable .
Your [words] are similar to you and in accordance with your dynasty. Though you are more valuable than My very life, follow dharma with Me.
1 These famous words were spoken by Sītā-devī to Hanumān.
Sītā’s words were primarily based on dharma.
They were appropriate to her dynasty because her family tradition is famous:
karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ
“Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties.” (Bhagavad-gītā 3.20)
Sītā-devī’s words were similar to her [nature] in considering even the offensive to be inoffensive because her nature is expressed in the following words:
pāpānāṁ vā śubhānāṁ vā vadhārhāṇāṁ plavaṅgama
kāryaṁ kāruṇyam āryeṇa na kaścin nāparādhyati
“O monkey, a noble person should be compassionate upon all who deserve to be killed, whether they are sinful or pious. Nobody is free from faults.”1 (Rāmāyaṇa 6.116.45)
“Follow dharma with Me” implies that she should resolve to follow that very dharma that He has resolved to follow.