Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 111
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
प्रताम्य वा प्रज्वल वा प्रणश्य वा सहस्रशो वा स्फुटिता महीं व्रज।न ते करिष्यामि वच स्सुदारुणं ममाहितं केकयराजपांसनि।।।।
pratāmya vā prajvala vā praṇaśya vā sahasraśo vā sphuṭitā mahīṃ vraja |
na te kariṣyāmi vacaḥ sudāruṇaṃ mamāhitaṃ kekayarājapāṃsani ||
你尽可悲恸，尽可焚灼，尽可灭亡——纵使你碎裂千片而坠地：我也绝不执行你那残酷而有害的要求，呵，羯迦耶王族之耻！
O obloquy on the house of Kekaya, you may grieve or burn yourself in the fire, or get destroyed. Even if you fall down on earth broken into a thousand pieces I will not act on your terrible, harmful words.
FAQs
It asserts moral resistance to harmful commands: dharma includes refusing actions perceived as destructive, even under emotional coercion.
Daśaratha vehemently rejects Kaikeyī’s insistence, declaring he will not comply even if she threatens self-harm or destruction.
Moral resolve (dharma-niṣṭhā) is foregrounded—though expressed in anger, the stance is framed as refusal of an ‘ahita’ (harmful) act.