Shloka 2.35.23
सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा (Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly)
माता ते पितरं देवि ततः केकयमब्रवीत्। शंस मे जीव वा मा वा न मामपहसिष्यसि।।2.35.23।।
mātā te pitaraṃ devi tataḥ kekayam abravīt | śaṃsa me jīva vā mā vā na mām apahasiṣyasi || 2.35.23 ||
Then, O queen, your mother said to your father, the king of Kekaya: “Whether you live or die, tell me the truth of this matter—do not mock me.”
Then your mother said to your father, 'Whether you live or die, tell me the cause. You are laughing at me'.
It stresses satya (truthful disclosure) and relational responsibility: in intimate bonds, one should speak plainly and not dismiss the other through ridicule.
In Kaikeyī’s backstory, her mother confronts the Kekaya king and demands an honest explanation rather than evasive laughter.
Moral seriousness and insistence on truth—refusing to accept mockery where clarity and honesty are due.