Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 17
सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा
Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly
अभिजात्यं हि ते मन्ये यथा मातुस्तथैव च।न हि निम्बात्स्रवेत् क्षैद्रं लोके निगदितं वचः।।2.35.17।।
abhijātyaṃ hi te manye yathā mātuḥ tathaiva ca |
na hi nimbāt sravet kṣaidraṃ loke nigaditaṃ vacaḥ ||2.35.17||
あなたの生まれつきの品性は、母上と同じだと思う。世に言うではないか、「ニームから蜜は滴らぬ」と。
We have heard in the past about the evil (stubborn) nature of your mother. Once a bestower of boons conferred an extraordinary boon on your father by virtue of which he could tell the sounds of all living beings. He also understood the language of all crookedly moving creatures.
FAQs
Dharma stresses cultivation of good character and truthful self-examination; inherited tendencies are not destiny, but the verse critiques how repeated unethical choices reveal one’s moral formation.
Sumantra intensifies his rebuke by linking Kaikeyi’s present cruelty to a reputed pattern associated with her maternal lineage, using a common proverb.
Frankness in counsel: Sumantra speaks bluntly, prioritizing moral truth over courtly politeness.