Shloka 2.22.19
अभिषेक-निवृत्ति-उपदेशः (Withdrawal of the Coronation: Rama’s Counsel to Lakshmana)
कथं प्रकृतिसम्पन्ना राजपुत्री तथागुणा।ब्रूयात्सा प्राकृतेव स्त्री मत्पीडां भर्तृसन्निधौ।।।।
kathaṁ prakṛtisampannā rājaputrī tathāguṇā |
brūyāt sā prākṛteva strī matpīḍāṁ bhartṛsannidhau ||
If fate were not at work, how could Kaikeyī—so noble by nature, a princess endowed with such virtues—speak words that wound me, and that too in her husband’s presence, like an ordinary woman?
If destiny is not the cause behind this, how could Kaikeyi who is gifted with virtues and a noble nature speak such painful words to me before her husband, like an ordinary woman?
Rama refrains from crude blame and interprets shocking wrongdoing through the lens of daiva (destiny), maintaining dignity and restraint rather than retaliatory speech—an ethic of measured judgment and self-control.
After Kaikeyī’s demands derail Rama’s coronation, Rama speaks to Lakshmana, reflecting on how such painful speech could arise from someone formerly known for virtue.
Rama’s forbearance and composure: he processes injury without descending into anger, seeking a principled explanation rather than immediate condemnation.