Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 7
द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः
Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments
ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति नाहं तेषां न ते मम।केवलार्थपरां हि त्वां त्यक्तधर्मां त्यजाम्यहम्।।।।
ye ca tvām anujīvanti nāhaṃ teṣāṃ na te mama | kevalārthaparāṃ hi tvāṃ tyaktadharmāṃ tyajāmy aham ||
“And those who live dependent on you—neither am I theirs, nor are they mine. Since you pursue only selfish gain and have abandoned dharma, I abandon you.”
In the middle of the night which, for him, felt like the night of death Dasaratha said to Kausalya thus:
FAQs
Dharma is presented as the basis of legitimate social bonds. When one is ‘tyakta-dharma’ (one who has abandoned righteousness) and driven by ‘kevala-artha’ (mere self-interest), relationships and loyalties become ethically void.
Daśaratha escalates his repudiation: he rejects not only Kaikeyī but also the circle sustained by her influence, declaring severance due to her perceived adharma.
Commitment to dharma as a non-negotiable standard—though expressed through a harsh, grief-charged verdict.