Shloka 2.12.69
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse (Ayodhya Kanda 12)
यदा यदा हि कौशल्या दासीवच्च सखीव च।।2.12.68।।भार्यावद्भगिनीवच्च मातृवच्चोपतिष्ठति। सततं प्रियकामा मे प्रियपुत्रा प्रियंवदा।।2.12.69।।न मया सत्कृता देवी सत्कारार्हा कृते तव।
nṛśaṃse duṣṭa-cāritre kulasyāsya vināśini,
kiṃ kṛtaṃ tava rāmeṇa pāpaṃ pāpe mayāpi vā?
O cruel one, of wicked conduct, destroyer of this very lineage—what wrong has Rāma done to you, or what wrong have I done, O sinful woman?
Sweetspoken Kausalya who always cherishes my welfare. who has given me my beloved son, who has served me like an attendant, a friend, a wife, a sister and a mother deserved courteous treatment from me, but because of you, she never received due attention from me.
The verse asserts that punishment or harm must be grounded in actual fault. To target the innocent (Rāma) is adharma, and it also endangers the stability of the dynasty and kingdom.
Daśaratha, shocked by Kaikeyī’s insistence on exile and coronation for Bharata, lashes out, questioning what grievance she could have against Rāma or himself.
Daśaratha’s protective instinct toward righteousness and his family line—though expressed through harsh reproach—highlights his recognition of Rāma’s innocence.