Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 7
द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः
Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments
ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति नाहं तेषां न ते मम।केवलार्थपरां हि त्वां त्यक्तधर्मां त्यजाम्यहम्।।।।
ye ca tvām anujīvanti nāhaṃ teṣāṃ na te mama | kevalārthaparāṃ hi tvāṃ tyaktadharmāṃ tyajāmy aham ||
Et ceux qui vivent dans ta dépendance—je ne suis ni à eux, ni eux à moi. Puisque tu ne poursuis que ton intérêt et que tu as délaissé le dharma, je t’abandonne.
In the middle of the night which, for him, felt like the night of death Dasaratha said to Kausalya thus:
FAQs
Dharma is presented as the basis of legitimate social bonds. When one is ‘tyakta-dharma’ (one who has abandoned righteousness) and driven by ‘kevala-artha’ (mere self-interest), relationships and loyalties become ethically void.
Daśaratha escalates his repudiation: he rejects not only Kaikeyī but also the circle sustained by her influence, declaring severance due to her perceived adharma.
Commitment to dharma as a non-negotiable standard—though expressed through a harsh, grief-charged verdict.