Shloka 2.7.1
मन्थराप्रवेशः — Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi
ज्ञातिदासी यतो जाता कैकेय्यास्तु सहोषिता।प्रासादं चन्द्रसङ्काशमारुरोह यदृच्छया।।।।
jñāti-dāsī yato jātā kaikeyyās tu sahōṣitā |
prāsādaṃ candra-saṅkāśam ārurōha yadṛcchayā ||
Mantharā, Kaikeyī’s family servant who had lived with her from her very birth, happened by chance to climb up to a palace that shone like the moon.
The family maid (Manthara) of Kaikeyi who had been living with her since her (Kaikeyi's) birth casually ascended the palace gleaming white like the Moon.
The verse sets narrative conditions rather than a direct injunction; ethically, it foreshadows how proximity and influence within a household can shape decisions—highlighting the need for discernment in counsel.
The narration introduces Mantharā’s movement within the palace as events begin to turn toward Kaikeyī’s crucial choices.
No explicit virtue is praised; the focus is on narrative setup, preparing for the ethical contrast between righteous rule and manipulative influence.