Shloka 2.86.18
लक्ष्मणगुणवर्णनम् — Lakshmana’s Vigil and Guha’s Testimony
सिद्धार्थाः पितरं वृत्तं तस्मिन्काले ह्युपस्थिते।प्रेतकार्येषु सर्वेषु संस्करिष्यन्ति भूमिपम्।।।।
siddhārthāḥ pitaraṃ vṛttaṃ tasmin kāle hy upasthite | pretakāryeṣu sarveṣu saṃskariṣyanti bhūmipam ||
When that time arrives and my father has come to that condition, those who perform every rite due to the departed for the lord of the earth will have achieved their purpose.
When the moment of death arrives for my father, those who perform the funeral rites for him would have fulfilled their desire.
Dharma includes antyeṣṭi (funeral duty): regardless of political turmoil, the prescribed rites for a king must be duly performed as an obligation of truth and order.
Lakṣmaṇa anticipates Daśaratha’s impending death and the performance of royal funeral rites, implying that some will see their aims fulfilled by the succession crisis.
Moral clarity about duty amid tragedy—Lakṣmaṇa recognizes both the necessity of rites and the ethical ambiguity of those who benefit from the outcome.