In plain words
I will not agree to lose such Satya today,” He said. Again Jābāli spoke. “He who lets go the bird in his hand and scrambles after the bird in the bush: is he a fool, or wise?” he said. “You are scrambling only for the Satya of a man who is dead. Keep up the Satya of those who are living,” he told Him.
At once Vasiṣṭha, who stood beside Him, seeing how hard it was to argue with Rāma, began again. What the two of them intended was somehow to take Śrī Rāmacandra to Ayodhyā and set this kingdom on His head. “Rāmacandra! A man has three gurus. The first guru is the mother, the second guru is the father, the third is the ācārya. You have come to the deep forest holding to the word your mother gave, but I am the ācārya. The guru is the most important of all. What is an ācārya? Not merely a teacher who gives lessons. He who practises is the ācārya, it has been said. The one who loves, and tells others to love, is the true ācārya.” Śrī Rāmacandra gave him a fine answer. “It is true that you are the ācārya, and not only Mine: you are the ācārya of My father and of My grandfathers and great-grandfathers too. Yet I will give you the honour that is your due. The mother who carried Me nine months, bore Me and brought Me up, cleaned away My filth, nourished Me in so many ways, watched over Me night and day in My illnesses and brought Me up this far: she comes first for Me. Next, the father who nourished Me with food and recreation, with meals and clothing, and had Me educated: he is foremost of all for Me. After these two had brought Me to this stage, the ācārya came and only gave Me lessons. If the mother had not given the body, if the father had not nourished this body, where would the ācārya be? So only when these two have been set in place in the right way does the ācārya light it as a lamp. So for Me the ācārya is worthy of honour. But he is not greater than My mother and father,” He said. Again Jābāli came in and began the mantra, “Mātṛdevo bhava, pitṛdevo bhava, ācāryadevo bhava.” At “Mātṛdevo bhava” a deity appeared there. At “Pitṛdevo bhava” a deva appeared there. At “Ācāryadevo bhava” a deva appeared there. “So the God who is in all three is what matters most to Me,” He said. That is unity in diversity. Then He said, “Daivaṃ mānuṣa rūpeṇa: I am the divinity that has taken form.” Then Vasiṣṭha said, “Rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ.” “You have truly come as Dharma itself taking this form. Rāmacandra! We can no longer argue with You,” he said.