Shloka 2.35.21

सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा (Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly)

Devanagari script

तत्र ते जननी क्रुद्धा मृत्युपाशमभीप्सती।हासं ते नृपते सौम्य जिज्ञासामीति चाब्रवीत्।।2.35.21।।

Transliteration

nṛpaś covāca tāṃ devīṃ devi śaṃsāmi te yadi |

tato me maraṇaṃ sadyo bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ||2.35.22||

Translation

The king said to the queen, “O Devi, if I tell you, I will die immediately—of that there is no doubt.”

Context

This incensed your mother who seeking the noose of death, asked him, 'O handsome king, I intend to know the cause of your laughter'.

Characters & Entities

• Sumantra
• Kaikeyi
• Kaikeyi's father (King of Kekaya)
• Kaikeyi's mother (unnamed here)

FAQs

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

Satya (truth) can be constrained by prior conditions and consequences; dharma sometimes forces a tragic choice between disclosure and self-preservation, showing the weight of boons, curses, and spoken conditions in itihāsa.

What is the narrative situation?

In the backstory, the king warns his queen that revealing the reason for his laughter will bring immediate death upon him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Caution and foresight: the king recognizes a binding fatal condition tied to disclosure.