Shloka 2.66.12
अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः — Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death
साऽहमद्यैव दिष्टान्तं गमिष्यामि पतिव्रता।इदं शरीर मालिङ्ग्य प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्।।।।
sāham adyaiva diṣṭāntaṃ gamiṣyāmi pativratā |
idaṃ śarīram āliṅgya pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam ||
I, a wife steadfast in devotion to my husband, shall go this very day to the appointed end; clasping this body, I will enter the sacred fire.
As his faithful wife, I shall enter the fire by clasping this (Dasaratha's) body and go to death today itself
The verse expresses Kausalyā’s understanding of pativratā-dharma (wifely fidelity) taken to an extreme in grief: the impulse to follow the husband in death. The Ramayana often records such vows as emotional and cultural expressions, while the narrative also shows the court restraining rash actions and restoring order through dharmic procedure.
After King Daśaratha’s death, Kausalyā clings to his body and, overwhelmed by sorrow and anger, declares she will enter fire with him immediately.
Kausalyā’s unwavering marital devotion (niṣṭhā) and her truthfully spoken, unhidden grief—showing emotional honesty even when it becomes self-destructive.