Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.19: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 19
मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi
सा विषण्णतरा भूत्वा कुब्जा तस्या हितैषिणी ।
विषादयन्ती प्रोवाच भेदयन्ती च राघवम् ॥१९॥
sā viṣaṇṇatarā bhūtvā kubjā tasyā hitaiṣiṇī |
viṣādayantī provāca bhedayantī ca rāghavam ||19||
കൂടുതൽ വിഷണ്ണയായി, കൈകേയിയുടെ ഹിതൈഷിണിയെന്ന ഭാവം കാട്ടിയ കുബ്ജ സംസാരിച്ചു—അവളുടെ വിഷാദം വർധിപ്പിക്കുകയും രാഘവൻ (രാമൻ)നോടു വിരോധം ഉണർത്തുകയും ചെയ്യുവാൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ച്.
That hunchback feeling still more depressed in her (Kaikeyi's) interest and intending to cause in her despondency and distance Rama from her spoke out:
FAQs
Dharma rejects counsel that creates needless division: pretending “welfare” while sowing despair and estrangement violates satya (truthfulness) and harms familial righteousness.
Mantharā escalates her strategy—she frames her advice as concern for Kaikeyī, but aims to turn her against Rāma.
The virtue implied is sincerity in counsel (true हितैषिता). The verse contrasts it with manipulative ‘well-wishing’ used to justify harmful speech.
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