Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 11: Kaikeyī Demands two Boons
Text 2.11.8

आत्मना वात्मजैश्चान्यैर्वृणे यं मनुजर्षभम्।
तेन रामेण कैकेयि शपे ते वचनक्रियाम्॥

ātmanā vātmajaiś cānyair vṛṇe yaṁ manuja-rṣabham
tena rāmeṇa kaikeyi śape te vacana-kriyām

ātmanā = at the cost of my body; ātmajaiḥ = my other sons; ca = and; anyaiḥ = others; vṛṇe = I accept; yam = whom; manuja-ṛṣabham = Prince; tena rāmeṇa = on Rāma; kaikeyi = Kaikeyī; śape = I promise; te = you; vacana-kriyām = that I will do as per your words.

Kaikeyī, I promise you on Prince Rāma, whom I accept at the cost of my body, my other sons and others, that I will do as per your words.

Daśaratha accepts Rāma even if he had to abandon his body, Bharata and His brothers or any other dear relatives valuable to him.1

 

1 From texts 5 to 8, it is clear that Daśaratha is extremely attached to Lord Rāma for he favorably remembers Him even in the passionate atmosphere of Kaikeyī’s residence and that too in her intoxicating presence.