Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.65: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 65
द्वादशः सर्गः · Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
यदा तु बहवो वृद्धा गुणवन्तो बहुश्रुताः ॥६५॥
परिप्रक्ष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थं वक्ष्यामि किमहं तदा ।
yadā tu bahavo vṛddhā guṇavanto bahuśrutāḥ ||65||
pariprakṣyanti kākutsthaṃ vakṣyāmi kim ahaṃ tadā |
Und wenn viele Älteste—tugendhaft und reich an Wissen—mich nach Kakutstha (Rāma) befragen, was werde ich dann zu sagen vermögen?
When several virtuous and learned elders ask me about Rama, what shall I tell them?
FAQs
Dharma must withstand scrutiny by the wise; unrighteous acts collapse when questioned by elders who represent ethical memory and social conscience.
Daśaratha anticipates interrogation by respected elders regarding Rāma’s fate and fears he will have no defensible explanation.
Respect for the judgment of the wise (vṛddha/śiṣṭa authority) as a measure of moral legitimacy.
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