Shloka 2.12.66

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

Devanagari script

कैकेय्या क्लिश्यमानेन रामः प्रव्राजितो मया।।।।यदि सत्यं ब्रवीम्येतत्तदसत्यं भविष्यति।

Transliteration

kaikeyyā kliśyamānena rāmaḥ pravrājito mayā | yadi satyaṃ bravīmy etat tad asatyaṃ bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

Tormented by Kaikeyī, I have sent Rāma into exile—yet if I speak this truth, it will be taken as false.

Context

If I tell the truth 'Tortured by Kaikeyi, I have sent Rama to the forest', none will believe it and they will consider it untruth.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma
• exile

FAQs

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

Satya can be socially rejected even when factually true; dharma here includes the king’s anguish at truth becoming ineffective in public judgment.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha foresees that blaming Kaikeyī for Rāma’s exile will sound unbelievable, worsening his helplessness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness under suffering—Daśaratha still frames his speech in terms of satya despite reputational ruin.