Shloka 2.20.19
अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः — Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile
तां शुक्लक्षौमसंवीतां व्रतयोगेन कर्शिताम्।तर्पयन्तीं ददर्शाद्भिर्देवतां देववर्णिनीम्।।।।
tāṃ śuklakṣaumasaṃvītāṃ vratayogena karśitām |
tarpayantīṃ dadarśādbhir devatāṃ devavarṇinīm ||
He saw her—Kauśalyā—clad in white silk, made lean by the discipline of vows; radiant in complexion like a goddess, she was offering water-libations to propitiate the deities.
Kausalya, emaciated due to observance of vows and clad in white silk looked like a celestial being. She was engaged in offering libations to the deities.
Dharma is expressed as self-discipline and devotion: vows (vrata) and worship are undertaken with sincerity, even at personal hardship.
Rāma encounters his mother Kauśalyā in a worshipful state, actively offering water to the deities as part of her observances.
Kauśalyā’s steadfast piety and austerity—her devotion is visible in her simplicity, restraint, and ritual focus.