Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 6
मन्थराप्रवेशः
Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi
पताकाभिर्वरार्हाभिर्ध्वजैश्च समलङ्कृताम्।वृतां छन्दपथैश्चापि शिरस्स्नातजनैर्वृताम्।।2.7.3।।माल्यमोदकहस्तैश्च द्विजेन्द्रैरभिनादिताम्।शुक्लदेवगृहद्वारां सर्ववादित्रनिस्वनाम्।।2.7.4।।सम्प्रहृष्टजनाकीर्णां ब्रह्मघोषाभिनादिताम्।प्रहृष्टवरहस्त्यश्वां सम्प्रणर्दितगोवृषाम्।।2.7.5।।प्रहृष्टमुदितैः पौरैरुच्छ्रितध्वजमालिनीम्।अयोध्यां मन्थरा दृष्ट्वा परं विस्मयमागता।।2.7.6।।
patākābhir varārhābhir dhvajaiś ca samalaṅkṛtām |
vṛtāṃ chandapathaiś cāpi śirassnātajanair vṛtām || 2.7.3 ||
mālyamodakahastaiś ca dvijendrair abhināditām |
śukladevagṛhadvārāṃ sarvavāditranisvanām || 2.7.4 ||
samprahṛṣṭajanākīrṇāṃ brahmaghoṣābhināditām |
prahṛṣṭavarahastyaśvāṃ sampraṇarditagovṛṣām || 2.7.5 ||
prahṛṣṭamuditaiḥ paurair ucchritadhvajamālinīm |
ayodhyāṃ mantharā dṛṣṭvā paraṃ vismayam āgatā || 2.7.6 ||
Mantharā vit Ayodhyā, parée de bannières précieuses et d’étendards; pleine de voies sinueuses et noire de monde, de gens tout juste baignés. Elle retentissait des chants védiques d’éminents brāhmaṇa portant guirlandes et douceurs, et du son de toutes sortes d’instruments. Des foules joyeuses emplissaient les rues; de superbes éléphants et chevaux, pleins d’ardeur, s’y mouvaient; vaches et taureaux faisaient entendre mugissements et beuglements. Les citoyens, transportés d’allégresse, dressaient haut des guirlandes de fanions autour de la cité; à cette vue, Mantharā fut saisie d’un étonnement extrême.
The city of Ayodhya was decorated with costly banners and pennants. The labyrinthine roads were crowded with people who had (finished) their head-bath and were wandering at will. The temples with their doors painted white were reverberating with the chanting from the Vedas by the best of brahmins holding garlands and sweetmeats in their hands and with sounds of all kinds of musical instruments. The city was filled with spirited horses and elephants. The bulls werebellowing and the cows were lowing. The citizens with great joy raised the penants encircling the city of Ayodhya. All this left Manthara astonished.
FAQs
Dharma is reflected as social and ritual order: citizens observe purification (head-bath), brāhmaṇas uphold sacred recitation, and the city collectively celebrates a righteous royal transition—public joy anchored in religious propriety.
Ayodhyā is in festive preparation for the royal consecration (abhiṣeka) atmosphere; Mantharā witnesses the city’s auspicious celebration and is astonished, setting the stage for her reaction and later counsel to Kaikeyī.
Collective civic virtue: the citizens’ harmony, devotion, and disciplined celebration—showing loyalty to the kingdom’s dhārmic order.