Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Kaikeyī Reaffirms her Demands
Text 2.12.66
यदा तु बहवो वृद्धा गुणवन्तो बहुश्रुताः।
परिप्रक्ष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थं वक्ष्यामि किमहं तदा॥
yadā tu bahavo vṛddhā guṇavanto bahu-śrutāḥ
pariprakṣyanti kākutsthaṁ vakṣyāmi kim ahaṁ tadā
yadā tu = when; bahavaḥ = many; vṛddhāḥ = elders; guṇavantaḥ = and auspicious; bahu-śrutāḥ = well learned; pariprakṣyanti = inquire; kākutstham = about Kākutstha; vakṣyāmi = will tell them; kim = what; aham = I; tadā = tomorrow.
When many well learned and auspicious elders inquire about Kākutstha tomorrow, what will I tell them?
[Daśaratha has this question in his mind:] “When many learned and auspicious elders ask, ‘Where is Rāma? Why wasn’t he coronated?’ how can I reply to them?”
Anticipating that Kaikeyī might say, “Just tell them that you banished Him because of your boons to Kaikeyī,” Daśaratha speaks the following verse.