Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 41
मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च
Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons
उरस्तेऽभिनिविष्टं वै यावत्स्कन्धात् समुन्नतं।।।।अधस्ताच्चोदरं शातं सुनाभमिव लज्जितम्।
uras te 'bhiniviṣṭaṁ vai yāvat skandhāt samunnatam |
adhastāc ca udaraṁ śātaṁ sunābham iva lajjitam ||
そなたの胸は満ちて肩まで高く盛り上がり、その下の腹は細く、麗しい臍を持つ――まるで恥じらいに隠しているかのようだ。
Your breasts are thick and are as high as your shoulders. Beneath them lies your belly with its beautiful navel (waist) looking slender as if out of bashfulness.
FAQs
The scene illustrates ethical distraction: when one’s mind turns to sensual or flattering speech, moral clarity about duty and truth can weaken.
Kaikeyī continues praising Mantharā in intimate, bodily detail, signaling deepening attachment and susceptibility.
The implied virtue is restraint (dama) in speech and attention; without it, one becomes easier to manipulate away from dharma.