Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 8, Shloka 22
मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः — Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī
Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm
भविता राघवो राजा राघवस्यानु यस्सुतः।राजवंशात्तु कैकेयि भरतःपरिहास्यते।।2.8.22।।
bhavitā rāghavo rājā rāghavasyānu yas sutaḥ | rājavaṃśāt tu kaikeyi bharataḥ parihāsyate || 2.8.22 ||
ৰাঘৱ ৰজা হ’ব, আৰু ৰাঘৱৰ পিছত তেওঁৰেই পুত্ৰে ৰাজ্য লাভ কৰিব; কিন্তু হে কৈকেয়ী, ভৰত ৰাজবংশৰ পৰা ঠেলি দিয়া হ’ব আৰু পৰিহাসৰ বিষয় হৈ পৰিব।
Rama, the scion of the Raghus, will become king. After Rama, his son will suceed him. O Kaikeyi, as for Bharata, he will be debarred from royal succession (altogether).
FAQs
It highlights how adharma can be seeded by fear of status-loss; dharma calls for truth-based counsel, not incitement that fractures family and social order.
Mantharā paints a dire future: Rāma’s reign followed by his son, leaving Bharata marginalized—meant to provoke Kaikeyī into intervention.
The implied virtue is loyalty to truth and justice in counsel; Mantharā instead exemplifies the vice of alarmist persuasion.