Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 7
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
नृशंसे दुष्टचारित्रे कुलस्यास्य विनाशिनि।।।।किं कृतं तव रामेण पापं पापे मयापि वा।
nṛśaṃse duṣṭa-cāritre kulasyāsya vināśini,
kiṃ kṛtaṃ tava rāmeṇa pāpaṃ pāpe mayāpi vā?
¡Oh cruel, de conducta perversa, destructora de este linaje! ¿Qué mal te ha hecho Rāma, o qué mal te he hecho yo, mujer pecadora?
Sweetspoken Kausalya who always cherishes my welfare. who has given me my beloved son, who has served me like an attendant, a friend, a wife, a sister and a mother deserved courteous treatment from me, but because of you, she never received due attention from me.
FAQs
The verse asserts that punishment or harm must be grounded in actual fault. To target the innocent (Rāma) is adharma, and it also endangers the stability of the dynasty and kingdom.
Daśaratha, shocked by Kaikeyī’s insistence on exile and coronation for Bharata, lashes out, questioning what grievance she could have against Rāma or himself.
Daśaratha’s protective instinct toward righteousness and his family line—though expressed through harsh reproach—highlights his recognition of Rāma’s innocence.