Shloka 2.9.24
मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च (Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons)
दयिता त्वं सदा भर्तुरत्र मे नास्ति संशयः।त्वत्कृते स महाराजो विशेदपि हुताशनम्।।।।
na tvāṃ krodhayituṃ śakto na kruddhāṃ pratyudīkṣitum |
tava priyārthaṃ rājā hi prāṇān api parityajet ||
He is not able to provoke your anger, nor can he bear to look upon you when you are enraged. Indeed, for your pleasure, the king would even give up his life.
No doubt, you have always been a beloved wife to your husband. For your sake the great king will even enter into the burning fire.
It underlines the ethical danger of coercion within intimate bonds; dharma requires compassion and truth, not domination through fear or emotional threat.
Mantharā intensifies her persuasion by describing Daśaratha’s extreme compliance in the face of Kaikeyī’s anger.
The king’s willingness to sacrifice is implied, but the verse mainly emphasizes his vulnerability—calling for responsible, dharmic restraint by those who influence him.