प्रतिवक्तुं प्रकृष्टे हि नापकृष्टस्तु शक्नुयात्। यदयुक्तं मया पूर्वं प्रमादाद् वाक्यमप्रियम् ॥ तत्रापि खलु मां दोषं कर्तुं नार्हसि राघव। त्वं हि दृष्टार्थतत्वज्ञः प्रजानां च हिते रतः। कार्यकारणसिद्धौ च प्रसन्ना बुद्धिरव्यया॥
prativaktuṃ prakṛṣṭe hi nāpakṛṣṭastu śaknuyāt| yadayuktaṃ mayā pūrvaṃ pramādād vākyamapriyam || tatrāpi khalu māṃ doṣaṃ kartuṃ nārhasi rāghava| tvaṃ hi dṛṣṭārthatatvajñaḥ prajānāṃ ca hite rataḥ| kāryakāraṇasiddhau ca prasannā buddhiravyayā||
English Meaning
An inferior person can by no means address his superior improperly. It does not behove you, O Rāghava, therefore to blame me for those unpleasant words which I used towards you, out of foolishness. You have acquired a practical mastery over the principles of religion and are ever engaged in the welfare of your subjects. Your eternal power of ascertaining the crime and meeting its condign punishment is perfectly clear.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)