The king was on the floor helpless and weeping. Neither of the acts was becoming of a great monarch, but Kaikeyi who was yet to achieve her purpose neither feared nor cared for the opinion of the world. She asked Dasaratha, "Great king! You have always taken pride in upholding the truth and honoring your promises. Why do you now deny me mine?" Shaking with fury at the shameless banter of his queen, Dasaratha said, " Evil woman! You are my enemy and will bring me death, what should I tell the devatas in heaven when they ask me of the wrong I had done Rama? Should I say that I did so to please your whims? And now, what shall I tell Rama? That the coronation will not take place but his banishment will, rendering false the promise I had earlier made to him? How can I part from that son of mine for whom I had pined so intensely and for many long years and how can Rama who is dear to all survive the inhospitable jungles?

Dasaratha's agony was endless. Feeling faint and spent, he did not notice the Sun dip into the western horizon, plunging the world in darkness. The stars came out to bejewel the night sky and the moon cast around its brilliance, but Dasaratha found no solace in the celestial display.He cried out to the night, not to yield to the dawn, as he could not bear to behold the face of Kaikeyi, who had brought him such untold misery. Despite his torment and his denials of ever wanting to see her again Dasaratha who was still a prisoner of her charms could neither deny her nor abandon Rama. Physically worn out, mentally subjected to unending torment, Dasaratha spent a restless night.With dawn came the sound of eulogies sung by the bards. They faded into insignificance in the face of the unfortunate events that had come to pass. Dasaratha to whom the eulogies meant nothing but a jarring noise, commanded their silence.