Shloka 2.8.35

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

Devanagari script

स ते सुखोचितो बालो रामस्य सहजो रिपुः।समृद्धार्थस्य नष्टार्थो जीविष्यति कथं वशे।।2.8.35।।

Transliteration

śocāmi durmatitvaṃ te kā hi prājñā praharṣayet |

areḥ sapatnīputrasya vṛddhiṃ mṛtyor ivāgatām || 2.8.4 ||

Translation

I grieve over your misguided thinking. What wise woman would rejoice at the rise of the son of a co-wife—like an enemy—when that rise comes as the approach of death?

Context

Your son, that young Bharata, is accustomed to comforts. He is a born enemy of Rama. How will he, deprived of all wealth, live under the control of Rama?

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī
• Kausalyā (implied as the co-wife)
• Rāma (implied as the co-wife’s son)

FAQs

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

The verse frames jealousy toward a co-wife’s child as self-destructive, implying a dharmic warning: envy and factionalism in family life corrode right judgment and invite ruin.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā begins persuading Kaikeyī that Rāma’s impending rise threatens her interests, urging suspicion toward Kausalyā’s son.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, it highlights the need for viveka (discernment). A ‘wise’ person should not celebrate or fuel hostility within the royal household.