Shloka 2.66.6

अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः — Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death

Devanagari script

न लुब्धो बुध्यते दोषान् किम्पाकमिव भक्षयन्।कुब्जानिमित्तं कैकेय्या राघवाणां कुलं हतम्।।।।

Transliteration

na lubdho budhyate doṣān kimpākam iva bhakṣayan | kubjānimittaṁ kaikeyyā rāghavāṇāṁ kulaṁ hatam ||

Translation

A greedy person, while eating the kimpāka fruit, does not perceive its defects. So too, under the hunchback’s influence, Kaikeyī has struck ruin upon the lineage of the Rāghavas.

Context

Like a greedy man who eats the (poisonous) kimpaka fruit without realising the defects of the fruit, Kaikeyi has destroyed the Raghu race on account of the hunchback (Manthara).

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Mantharā (the hunchback, implied by kubjā)
• Rāghavas (Raghu dynasty)

FAQs

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

Greed and self-interest cloud discernment; dharma requires clear seeing (viveka) and resistance to harmful counsel. The simile teaches that attractive gains can conceal fatal consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

In lament, Kauśalyā explains Ayodhyā’s catastrophe as the product of Kaikeyī’s greed and Mantharā’s instigation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue of discernment (wise judgment) is emphasized by its absence: greed prevents recognition of ‘doṣa’ (harm).