Shloka 2.18.19
अष्टादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyī Discloses the Boons: Exile to Daṇḍaka and Bharata’s Consecration
एवमुक्ता तु कैकेयी राघवेण महात्मना।उवाचेदं सुनिर्लज्जा धृष्टमात्महितं वचः।।।।
evam uktā tu kaikeyī rāghaveṇa mahātmanā | uvācedaṃ sunirlajjā dhṛṣṭam ātmahitaṃ vacaḥ ||
Thus addressed by the great-souled Rāghava, Kaikeyī—utterly shameless—spoke these bold words, aimed at her own advantage.
When Kaikeyi was thus asked by the magnanimous scion of the Raghus (Rama) sheuttered unashamed these impudent words in her own interest.
The verse frames a dharmic warning: when self-interest overrides shame and moral restraint, speech becomes a tool of adharma and harms the righteous.
After Rāma’s repeated inquiries, the narration signals that Kaikeyī is about to respond with audacious, self-serving demands.
By contrast: Rāma’s nobility (mahātman) is highlighted against Kaikeyī’s shameless self-interest, sharpening the moral tension of the scene.