Shloka 14
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
तदलं त्यज्यतामेष निश्चयः पापनिश्चये।।।।अपि ते चरणै मूर्ध्ना स्पृशाम्येष प्रसीद मे।
tad alaṃ tyajyatām eṣa niścayaḥ pāpaniścaye | api te caraṇai mūrdhnā spṛśāmy eṣa prasīda me ||
മതി—പാപമാർഗ്ഗത്തിൽ ഉറച്ച ഈ നിശ്ചയം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കൂ. ഞാൻ തലകൊണ്ട് നിന്റെ പാദങ്ങൾ സ്പർശിച്ച് നമസ്കരിക്കുന്നു; ദേവി, എനിക്കു കൃപ കാണിക്കൂ.
O sinful one why have you got this most dreadful thought? Do you want to know my likes or dislikes about Bharata? Let them be so.But speaking of Rama earlier, you used to say, 'Rama is my eldest son. He is noble and foremost in discharging his duties.' Such sweet words could not have been said only to please me.
FAQs
Dharma here is expressed as restraint and appeal to conscience: Daśaratha urges abandonment of an unrighteous resolve and chooses humility over coercion, even as king.
Daśaratha physically and verbally supplicates Kaikeyī, attempting to dissuade her from the decision that will exile Rāma.
Humility and self-control—Daśaratha bows rather than retaliating, seeking reconciliation.