Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.22 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 22
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
तस्य धर्मात्मनो देवि वनवासं यशस्विनः।कथं रोचयसे भीरु नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च।।।।
tasya dharmātmano devi vanavāsaṃ yaśasvinaḥ | kathaṃ rocayase bhīru nava varṣāṇi pañca ca ||
ข้าแต่เทวีผู้เป็นมเหสี พระรามผู้ทรงธรรมและทรงเกียรติยศนั้น ไฉนท่านจึงพอพระทัยให้เสด็จอยู่ป่าถึงสิบสี่ปี
O lady how do you wish this righteous and illustrious Rama to dwell in the forest for fourteen years?
FAQs
The verse invokes dharma as moral fitness: it is wrong to impose severe suffering on a righteous person without just cause.
Kaikeyī has demanded Rāma’s banishment for fourteen years; Daśaratha protests, highlighting Rāma’s righteousness and fame.
Rāma’s dharmic character (dharmātman) and honorable reputation (yaśas) are foregrounded as reasons such treatment is unjust.
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