In Bhavabhuti’s Uttara Rama Charita, Rama says that to please the world, we must be prepared to give up friendship and family. But the world itself is sustained by dharma and to uphold dharma, Rama gave up a lot. Valmiki Ramayana has several instances of how Rama always kept to the dharmic path, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse.
Dasaratha has to honour his promise to Kaikeyi and she wants Rama to be sent to the forest on exile. Rama is able to see that his father is distressed, but He does not know the reason for Dasaratha’s sorrow. Kaikeyi tells Rama that she has asked Dasaratha for two boons he had once promised her. She says she wants her son Bharata to be made king and Rama go to the forest for fourteen years. She is afraid that Dasaratha might break his promise to her because of his affection for Rama. And if he were to do so, then he would be guilty of having been untruthful. So, she wonders what Rama is going to do, now that He knows the truth. Rama is calm.
He says He would have gladly given up everything for the sake of BharataHe tells Kaikeyi that had she wanted Him to go to the forest, she could have told Him. He would have obeyed her command.
Kausalya laments that she cannot survive without Rama. Lakshmana says that Rama should be King of Ayodhya and that he (Lakshmana) will stand by Rama’s side, if He were to seize the throne. Lakshmana urges Rama to do so quickly before others get to know of Dasaratha’s order. And if anyone were to oppose Rama, Lakshamana will deal with them. But Rama is not swayed by these words. He knows that it is His dharma to obey His father. Eeven in the most difficult circumstances, He does not go against dharma.
