Daśaratha’s cruel activity lay in exiling his beloved son. Therefore, Daśaratha had certainly become absorbed in harming everyone and had become an object of displeasure to everyone. Lakṣmaṇa felt that a person like Bharata [who had a kingdom to receive from Daśaratha] might love Daśaratha, but no one [else would love him]. Lakṣmaṇa intends to ask King Daśaratha, “How can I take shelter of you, a conditional relative, when you have abandoned Rāma, the unconditional friend and relative to all?”