There is a Legend that Varauchi,who was in King Vikramaditya’s Court and A great Sanskrit scholar, was asked to pick the best sloka in the Ramayana, which has 24,000 slokas, couplets.
He is reported to have found it, from the Ghosts in a Tree, who were talking among themselves.
This is the Best Sloka of Ramayana, found by Vararauchi,
Ayodhya Kanda, 40 Sarga, 9 Sloka
”
रामम् दशरथम् विद्धि माम् विद्धि जनक आत्मजाम् |
अयोध्याम् अटवीम् विद्धि गच्च तात यथा सुखम् || २-४०-९
It has 3 meanings as follows.
Meaning 1:”Know Rama to be Dasaratha. Look upon Seetha the daughter of Janaka as myself. Consider the forest as Ayodhya and depart happily, my son!”
Meaning 2: Know Rama is one with 10 avtharas (Vishnu) Know Seetha as Lakshmi (Mam) and Know Forest as Ayodya (Un conquerable-Vaikunta) and depart happily
Meaning 3: Consider Dasaratha as Dead, consider me as departed to my maternal home (as widow), and forget Ayodya and depart happily.
rāmam daśaratham viddhi mām viddhi janaka ātmajām
ayodhyām aṭavīm viddhi gacca tāta yathā sukham
https://ramanan50.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/ramayanas-best-sloka/