Character of the Valmiki Ramayana
Dasharatha
दशरथ
The king of Ayodhya, who kept his word to a queen and died of the grief that keeping it cost him.
Embodies
- The Binding Word — A promise once given binds you — even to your own ruin.
- Sacrifice — Giving up what you hold dearest so another may walk their path.
Questions to explore
- Was Dasharatha noble or weak to honour Kaikeyi's boons?
- Why couldn't a king simply refuse?
