Valmiki Ramayana 2.72.14: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 72, Shloka 14
भरतस्य मातृसदनगमनं कैकेय्या दारुणवृत्तान्तकथनं च
Bharata in Kaikeyi’s apartments: revelation of Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile
तं प्रत्युवाच कैकेयी प्रियवद्घोरमप्रियम् ।
अजानन्तं प्रजानन्ती राज्यलोभेन मोहिता ॥१४॥
taṃ pratyuvāca kaikeyī priyavad ghoram apriyam |
ajānantam prajānantī rājyalobhena mohitā ||14||
कैकेयी ने जवाब दिया। बुरा खबर सुना दी, लेकिन ऐसे बोल रही थी जैसे कुछ अच्छा कह रही हो। उसको राज के लालच में दिमाग चल गया था।
In spite of knowing everything, Kaikeyi actuated by greed for the kingdom, broke the unpleasant and dreadful news as if it were pleasing to Bharata, who was ignorant of what had transpired.
FAQs
The verse warns that abandoning Satya and Dharma through rājya-lobha (political greed) corrupts speech—making even truth sound manipulative.
Kaikeyī prepares to disclose catastrophic news to Bharata, who is unaware of the events in Ayodhyā.
By contrast (through negation), it highlights the danger of greed and delusion as anti-virtues that distort moral judgment.
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