Shloka 2.8.2

मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः — Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī (Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm)

Devanagari script

हर्षं किमिदमस्थाने कृतवत्यसि बालिशे।शोकसागरमध्यस्थमात्मानं नावबुध्यसे।।2.8.2।।

Transliteration

harṣaṃ kim idam asthāne kṛtavaty asi bāliśe | śokasāgara-madhyastham ātmānaṃ nāvabudhyase || 2.8.2 ||

Translation

O foolish woman, why do you show joy at the wrong moment, not realizing that you stand in the very midst of an ocean of sorrow?

Context

O foolish woman! why do you display this misplaced happiness, little realising that you are in the midst of an ocean of sorrow?

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates how discernment (viveka) is crucial to dharma: misplaced joy can arise from ignorance, and ethical judgment requires seeing consequences clearly.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā rebukes Kaikeyī’s contentment and begins to frame impending events as disastrous, setting the stage for manipulation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a warning-sign: Mantharā appeals to anxiety and shortsightedness, urging Kaikeyī to interpret events through fear rather than truth.