Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 96
द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse
Ayodhya Kanda 12
त्वं राजपुत्रीवादेन न्यवसो मम वेश्मनि।अकीर्तिश्चातुला लोके ध्रुवः परिभवश्च मे।।।।सर्वभूतेषु चावज्ञा यथा पापकृतस्तथा।
tvaṃ rājaputrīvādena nyavaso mama veśmani; akīrtiś cātulā loke dhruvaḥ paribhavaś ca me. sarvabhūteṣu cāvajñā yathā pāpakṛtas tathā.
你以公主之名寄居我宫中；然而在世间，于我却生起无量的耻辱与必然的羞辱。并且在一切众生之中，人们也将轻蔑我，仿佛我是作恶之人。
You lived in my palace under the name of a princess. You have brought me, for sure, unparalleled dishonour and disgrace. Everybody will look upon me with contempt as if I have committed a sinful act.
FAQs
A king’s dharma includes protecting moral legitimacy and public trust; wrongful acts within the royal household stain the realm’s ethical order and invite social contempt.
Daśaratha condemns Kaikeyī’s conduct and laments that her actions will make him appear sinful and dishonoured before the world.
The ideal of royal accountability: Daśaratha fears not merely personal pain but moral blame and loss of righteous standing.