Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 113
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
न जीवितं मेऽस्ति पुनःकुत स्सुखं विनाऽऽत्मजेनाऽत्मवतः कुतो रतिः।ममाहितं देवि न कर्तुमर्हसि स्पृशामि पादावपि ते प्रसीद मे।।।।
na jīvitaṃ me ’sti punaḥ kutaḥ sukhaṃ vinā ’tmajenā ’tmavataḥ kuto ratiḥ |
mamāhitaṃ devi na kartum arhasi spṛśāmi pādāv api te prasīda me ||
Ohne meinen Sohn gibt es für mich kein Leben—woher dann Glück? Und für einen Mann, der seine Würde wahrt, wo könnte noch Lust sein? O Königin, du sollst nicht tun, was mir schadet; ich werde sogar deine Füße berühren—erbarme dich meiner.
There is no life for me without my son (Rama). What to speak of happiness again? Where is pleasure for a selfrespecting man like me? O queen, it does not behove you to do this harmful act. I will touch your feet. Show pity on me.
FAQs
It frames compassion as dharma: even amid conflict, one should not commit ‘ahita’ (harm) against the vulnerable; the plea appeals to humane restraint and moral responsibility.
Daśaratha’s anger collapses into desperation; he begs Kaikeyī to relent, even offering the humiliating gesture of touching her feet.
Humility and supplication in crisis—Daśaratha abandons royal pride to seek mercy for what he sees as a dharmic necessity: keeping Rāma near.