Shloka 2.78.3
अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः — Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint (Mantharā Episode)
बलवान्वीर्यसम्पन्नो लक्ष्मणो नाम योऽप्यसौ।किं न मोचयते रामं कृत्वा स्म पितृनिग्रहम्।।।।
sā pādamūle kaikeyyā mantharā nipapāta ha |
niśśvasantī suduḥkhārtā kṛpaṇaṁ vilalāpa ca ||
Mantharā fell down at Kaikeyī’s feet; heaving deep sighs, tormented by grief, she lamented pitiably.
And why did not Lakshmana who is strong and powerful release Rama from exile by restraining our father?
The verse illustrates karmic and social consequence: those who incite adharma may later seek shelter in the very networks they helped destabilize.
After being threatened/handled by Śatrughna, Mantharā collapses before Kaikeyī in distress and begins to wail.
Not a virtue but a cautionary lens: emotional collapse and fear show the fragility of manipulative power once consequences arrive.