Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 22

मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi

Spoken by Manthara to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā (Kaikeyī’s quarters)

Devanagari script

तव दुःखेन कैकेयि मम दुःखं महद्भवेत् ।

त्वद्वृद्धौ मम वृद्धिश्च भवेदत्र न संशयः ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.7.22

Transliteration

tava duḥkhena kaikeyi mama duḥkhaṃ mahad bhavet |

tvadvṛddhau mama vṛddhiś ca bhaved atra na saṃśayaḥ ||22||

Translation

O Kaikeyī, dein Kummer würde zu meinem großen Kummer werden; und mit deinem Gedeihen würde auch meines wachsen—daran besteht kein Zweifel.

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Word by Word

• tava: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• duḥkhena: by/with (your) sorrow
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Hetu/Kāraṇa (हेतु/कारण)

• kaikeyi: O Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• mama: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• duḥkham: sorrow
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mahat: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (duḥkham)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• bhavet: would be, would arise
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिङ् (potential/optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• tvad-vṛddhau: in your prosperity
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम) + vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘tava vṛddhau’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• mama: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• vṛddhiḥ: prosperity, increase
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• bhavet: would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• atra: here, in this matter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: Deśa/Viṣaya-adhikaraṇa (देश/विषयाधिकरण)

• na: no, not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: Niṣedha (निषेध)

• saṃśayaḥ: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied ‘asti’)

Sandhi Notes

• mahād bhavet = mahat + bhavet (t/d sandhi)
• tvadvṛddhau = tvad + vṛddhau
• vṛddhiś ca = vṛddhiḥ + ca (visarga sandhi)

Context

O Kaikeyi, your sorrow will augment my sorrow. Your prosperity would mean my prosperity. There is no doubt about this.

The teaching

Claims of shared fate can be tools of influence; dharmic decisions require principles beyond personal alliances.

Duties in tension

• Loyalty to benefactor vs moral truthfulness
• Personal advancement vs justice in succession

Ethical theme

Nīti / integrity in counsel

For your practice

Encourages discrimination between genuine compassion and transactional empathy; useful for daily reflection on motives.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Appealing, intimate, persuasive

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Loyalty (claimed)
• Influence
• Counsel

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It underlines the power of counsel rooted in claimed loyalty; dharma demands that advice be truthful and beneficial, not merely aligned with self-interest.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā asserts shared fate with Kaikeyī to strengthen her influence and make her warning persuasive.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Solidarity is invoked as a virtue, though the broader episode questions the sincerity and moral direction of that solidarity.