Shloka 2.14.19
सत्यपाशः — Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise
तां तथा ब्रुवतस्तस्य भूमिपस्य महात्मनः।प्रभाता शर्वरी पुण्या चन्द्रनक्षत्रशालिनी।।।।
tāṃ tathā bruvatas tasya bhūmipasya mahātmanaḥ |
prabhātā śarvarī puṇyā candra-nakṣatra-śālinī ||
As that high-souled king spoke to her in that manner, the holy night—bright with moon and stars—passed into dawn.
While the king was thus speaking to her (Kaikeyi) that holy night resplendent with the Moon and the stars, the day dawned.
The verse highlights the contrast between cosmic order (auspicious night turning to dawn) and moral disorder in human action—suggesting that dharma is tested even when time itself remains orderly.
A narrative transition: during Daśaratha’s tense exchange with Kaikeyī, the night ends and morning arrives.
No single virtue is asserted directly; the focus is on atmosphere and timing, heightening the gravity of the ethical conflict.