Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 22, Shloka 18
अभिषेक-निवृत्ति-उपदेशः
Withdrawal of the Coronation: Rama’s Counsel to Lakshmana
सोऽभिषेकनिवृत्त्यर्थैप्रवासार्थैश्च दुर्वचैः।उग्रैर्वाक्यैरहं तस्या नान्यद्दैवात्समर्थये।।।।
so ’bhiṣeka-nivṛtty-arthaiḥ pravāsa-arthaiś ca durvacaiḥ | ugrair vākyair ahaṃ tasyā nānyad daivāt samarthaye ||
As for those harsh and fierce words of hers—meant to stop my consecration and to drive me into exile—I can account for them by nothing other than destiny.
I do not find any reason other than destiny for the cruel and brutal words spoken by Kaikeyi with the objective of preventing my coronation and exiling me.
FAQs
Dharma is restraint in judgment: Rāma refuses to escalate hostility and treats the event as destiny-driven, thereby preventing adharma in response.
Rāma interprets Kaikeyī’s severe speech—aimed at blocking his coronation and enforcing exile—as something he will not explain through malice alone.
Rāma’s equanimity and non-reactivity—he absorbs insult without collapsing into hatred.