Shloka 2.9.38
मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च (Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons)
कुब्जे त्वां नाभिजानामि श्रेष्ठां श्रेष्ठाभिथायिनीम्।।।।पृथिव्यामसि कुब्जानामुत्तमा बुद्धिनिश्चये।
sā hi vākyena kubjāyāḥ kiśorīva utpathaṁ gatā |
kaikeyī vismayaṁ prāptā paraṁ parama-darśanā ||
For Kaikeyī—though famed for clear judgment—was astonished by the hunchback’s words and, like an immature girl, strayed onto a wrongful path.
(She said) O hunchback, I never knew that you can speak such excellent words or decide things intelligently. You are the best among the hunchbacks of this world.
Even the wise can fall when emotion and flattery override truth. Dharma requires steadiness of judgment, especially when counsel leads toward harm and injustice.
Mantharā’s rhetoric shocks and sways Kaikeyī; the narration marks Kaikeyī’s decisive moral deviation.
Mature discernment is contrasted with impulsive wonder; the verse stresses the virtue of self-control and careful reflection before acting.