Shloka 2.12.63

द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse (Ayodhya Kanda 12)

Devanagari script

तां हि मे सुकृतां बुद्धिं सुहृद्भिस्सह निश्चिताम्।।।।कथं द्रक्ष्याम्यपावृत्तां परैरिव हतां चमूम्।किं मां वक्ष्यन्ति राजानो नानादिग्भ्य स्समागताः।।।।बालो बताऽयमैक्ष्वाकश्चिरं राज्यमकारयत्।

Transliteration

yadā tu bahavo vṛddhā guṇavanto bahuśrutāḥ |

pariprakṣyanti kākutsthaṃ vakṣyāmi kim ahaṃ tadā ||

Translation

And when many elders—virtuous and deeply learned—question me about Kakutstha (Rāma), what will I be able to say then?

Context

I have taken this decision in consultation with friends to install Rama. How can I see such a decision being reversed like a retreating army defeated by enemies? Kings from different quarters have already arrived and they will say, How did this ignorant descendant of the Ikshakus (Dasaratha) rule this kingdom for such a long time?

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma (Kākutstha)
• vṛddhāḥ (elders)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma must withstand scrutiny by the wise; unrighteous acts collapse when questioned by elders who represent ethical memory and social conscience.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha anticipates interrogation by respected elders regarding Rāma’s fate and fears he will have no defensible explanation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for the judgment of the wise (vṛddha/śiṣṭa authority) as a measure of moral legitimacy.