Shloka 2.9.54
मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च (Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons)
गतोदके सेतुबन्धो न कल्याणि विधीयते।उत्तिष्ठ कुरु कल्याणि राजानमनुदर्शय।।।।
gatodake setubandho na kalyāṇi vidhīyate | uttiṣṭha kuru kalyāṇi rājānam anudarśaya ||
O auspicious lady, once the water has already flowed away, one cannot set about building a dam. Rise now; act at once, and show your resolve before the king.
O fortunate one! construction of a dike is not undertaken after the water has flowed down. Act before the king to the best of your interest.
The verse uses a proverb to urge timely action; ethically, it warns that delay can make even rightful duties impossible. In context, however, Mantharā weaponizes ‘prudence’ to push Kaikeyī toward an adharma-motivated intervention.
Mantharā presses Kaikeyī to act immediately—before decisions become irreversible—by confronting the king regarding the succession.
Not virtue but strategic urgency is emphasized; it highlights decisiveness, though here it is directed toward a morally questionable aim.