Valmiki Ramayana 2.35.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 16
सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा
Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly
आम्रं छित्वा कुठारेण निम्बं परिचरेत्तु यः।
यश्चैनं पयसा सिञ्चेन्नैवास्य मधुरो भवेत्।।2.35.16।।
āmraṃ chitvā kuṭhāreṇa nimbaṃ paricarettu yaḥ |
yaś cainaṃ payasā siñcet naivāsya madhuro bhavet ||2.35.16||
Si quelqu’un abat à la hache un manguier et, à sa place, soigne un neem, fût-il arrosé de lait, jamais il ne deviendra doux.
Your nature corresponds to your mother's, so I think. 'Honey will not flow from a nimba tree' is a well-known saying in this world.
FAQs
Outer acts cannot transform inner nature without genuine moral reform; dharma is rooted in character (svabhāva), not in superficial displays or pampering.
Sumantra uses a sharp proverb to argue that Kaikeyi’s conduct reveals an ingrained disposition that cannot be ‘sweetened’ by external measures.
Discernment (viveka): Sumantra distinguishes between appearance and inherent moral quality.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.