Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 27
अष्टादशः सर्गः
Kaikeyī Discloses the Boons: Exile to Daṇḍaka and Bharata’s Consecration
एतत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा कैकेय्या समुदाहृतम्।उवाच व्यथितो रामस्तां देवीं नृपसन्निधौ।।।।
etat tu vacanaṃ śrutvā kaikeyyā samudāhṛtam | uvāca vyathito rāmas tāṃ devīṃ nṛpa-sannidhau ||
លុះព្រះរាមបានឮពាក្យដែលកៃកេយីបាននិយាយហើយ ព្រះអង្គមានព្រះទ័យកង្វល់សោកស្តាយ ក៏មានព្រះបន្ទូលទៅកាន់ព្រះមហេសីនោះ នៅចំពោះព្រះមហាក្សត្រ។
Very much depressed on hearing the words of Kaikeyi, Rama thus said to her in the presence of the king:
FAQs
The verse frames a dharmic crisis: Rāma’s distress signals the weight of conflicting duties—obedience to the king’s word versus the moral shock of the demand’s implications.
This is a transition marker: after Kaikeyī’s pressure, Rāma responds directly to her while Daśaratha is present.
Rāma’s emotional honesty coupled with restraint: even distressed, he speaks formally and within courtly decorum.