Shloka 2.26.22
अयोध्याकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः — Rama’s Departure and Sita’s Questions; Disclosure of Exile and Counsel on Courtly Conduct
तयाऽद्य मम सज्जेऽस्मिन्नभिषेके नृपोद्यते।प्रचोदित स्स समयो धर्मेण प्रतिनिर्जितः।।।।
tayā ’dya mama sajje ’sminn abhiṣeke nṛpo dyate |
pracoditaḥ sa samayo dharmeṇa pratinirjitaḥ ||
Today, just as the king was preparing for my consecration, she pressed him to fulfill that promised boon; invoking “dharma,” she has compelled him to submit.
When the king was preparing for my consecration, she reminded him of the promise and in the name of righteousness he has been cornered.
The verse highlights how dharma can be invoked as a binding moral force—here, the king feels compelled to honor a prior pledge, even when it causes personal and political distress.
Rāma explains to Sītā that during preparations for his coronation, Kaikeyī reminded Daśaratha of an earlier promise and compelled its fulfillment.
Rāma’s clear-eyed commitment to truth and duty: he recognizes the moral bind created by a pledged word and treats it as decisive.