Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Kaikeyī Reaffirms her Demands
Text 2.12.36
अञ्जलिं कुर्मि कैकेयि पादौ चापि स्पृशामि ते।
शरणं भव रामस्य माधर्मो मामिह स्पृशेत्॥
añjaliṁ kurmi kaikeyi pādau cāpi spṛśāmi te
śaraṇaṁ bhava rāmasya mādharmo mām iha spṛśet
añjalim kurmi = I join my palms in supplication; kaikeyi = Kaikeyī; pādau = feet; ca api = and; spṛśāmi = touch; te = your; śaraṇam = protector; bhava = become; rāmasya = Rāma’s; mā = not; adharmaḥ = adharma; mām = me; iha = in this regard; spṛśet = let touch.
Kaikeyī, I join my palms in supplication and touch your feet. Become Rāma’s protector. Let adharma not touch me in this regard.
Daśaratha did not want adharma in the form of his breaking his promise [to the citizens that He will coronate Rāma as his heir apparent] to touch him. In other words, He pleaded to Kaikeyī to permit Rāma’s coronation.