Valmiki Ramayana 2.8.35: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 8, Shloka 35
मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः · Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī
Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm
स ते सुखोचितो बालो रामस्य सहजो रिपुः ।
समृद्धार्थस्य नष्टार्थो जीविष्यति कथं वशे ॥३५॥
sa te sukhocito bālo rāmasya sahajo ripuḥ |
samṛddhārthasya naṣṭārtho jīviṣyati kathaṃ vaśe ||35||
Jener Knabe — dein Bharata — an Wohlleben gewöhnt, ist von Natur aus Rāmas Rivale. Wenn er aller Mittel beraubt ist, wie wird er unter der Herrschaft des reichen, mächtigen Rāma leben?
Your son, that young Bharata, is accustomed to comforts. He is a born enemy of Rama. How will he, deprived of all wealth, live under the control of Rama?
FAQs
It implicitly warns that attachment to comfort and status makes one vulnerable; dharma calls for restraint and truthfulness, whereas this counsel pushes suspicion and hostility.
Mantharā tries to convince Kaikeyī that Bharata cannot endure subordination if Rāma rules, thereby urging Kaikeyī to intervene.
By contrast (negatively), it highlights the need for equanimity and humility; the verse assumes Bharata’s dependence on luxury as a weakness.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
