Shloka 2.12.21
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse (Ayodhya Kanda 12)
ननु ते राघवस्तुल्यो भरतेन महात्मना।बहुशो हि सुबाले त्वं कथाः कथयसे मम।।।।
nanu te rāghavas tulyo bharatena mahātmanā | bahuśo hi subāle tvaṃ kathāḥ kathayase mama ||
Surely, O childish one, you have often told me that Rāma is as dear to you as the high-souled Bharata.
O childish one, you used to tell me several times that Rama is as dear to you as the highsouled Bharata.
Dharma here points to fairness and consistency in one’s declared affections—partiality that contradicts one’s own stated values is ethically suspect.
Daśaratha confronts Kaikeyī after her harsh demands, reminding her of her earlier claim that she loved Rāma as much as Bharata.
Daśaratha appeals to integrity (alignment of speech and intention), urging Kaikeyī to remain true to what she previously professed.