Shloka 2.13.17
अयोध्याकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः | Kaikeyi Presses the Boons; Dasaratha’s Lament and Collapse
न प्रभातं त्वयेच्छामि निशे नक्षत्रभूषणे।।।।क्रियतां मे दया भद्रे मयाऽयं रचितोऽञ्जलिः।
na prabhātaṃ tvayecchāmi niśe nakṣatrabhūṣaṇe |
kriyatāṃ me dayā bhadre mayāyaṃ racito 'ñjaliḥ |
O Night, adorned with stars, I do not wish for dawn to come through you. O gentle one, show me compassion—see, I offer this prayer with folded hands.
'O auspicious-looking Night adorned with stars, I do not wish to see the dawn. O gentle night, be kind to me I pray with folded hands'.
Under the weight of impending unrighteousness, one may plead for delay; the verse highlights the dread of facing a new day when truth and duty seem impossible to reconcile.
Daśaratha, overwhelmed, addresses the night itself, begging it not to yield to dawn, as if postponing the crisis could reduce his suffering.
Humility and supplication—despite being king, Daśaratha prays with folded hands, revealing his helplessness before fate and moral consequence.