Opening the text
द्वादशः सर्गः · Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
यदा तु बहवो वृद्धा गुणवन्तो बहुश्रुताः ॥६५॥
परिप्रक्ष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थं वक्ष्यामि किमहं तदा ।
yadā tu bahavo vṛddhā guṇavanto bahuśrutāḥ ||65||
pariprakṣyanti kākutsthaṃ vakṣyāmi kim ahaṃ tadā |
Dan apabila ramai para tua—berbudi dan luas ilmunya—menyoal aku tentang Kakutstha (Rāma), apakah yang mampu aku katakan pada saat itu?
When several virtuous and learned elders ask me about Rama, what shall I tell them?
Dharma must withstand scrutiny by the wise; unrighteous acts collapse when questioned by elders who represent ethical memory and social conscience.
Daśaratha anticipates interrogation by respected elders regarding Rāma’s fate and fears he will have no defensible explanation.
Respect for the judgment of the wise (vṛddha/śiṣṭa authority) as a measure of moral legitimacy.
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.