Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.34: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 34

मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi

Spoken by Kaikeyi to MantharaSetting: Ayodhyā (Kaikeyī’s antaḥpura)

Devanagari script

इदं तु मन्थरे मह्यमाख्यासि परमं प्रियम् ।

एतन्मे प्रियमाख्यातुः किं वा भूयः करोमि ते ॥३४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.7.34

Transliteration

idaṃ tu manthare mahyam ākhyāsi paramaṃ priyam |

etan me priyam ākhyātuḥ kiṃ vā bhūyaḥ karomi te ||34||

Translation

ഹേ മന്തരേ, നീ എനിക്ക് അത്യന്തം പ്രിയമായ കാര്യം അറിയിച്ചു. ഇത്തരമൊരു സന്തോഷവാർത്ത കൊണ്ടുവന്ന നിനക്കായി ഞാൻ ഇനി എന്തു കൂടി ചെയ്യണം?

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Word by Word

• इदम्: this (matter/news)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular)
• Role: कर्तृ (subject of ākhyāsi)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चय-भेदकः (particle; adversative/emphatic “but/indeed”)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्धक (discourse particle)

• मन्थरे: O Mantharā
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्थरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (feminine vocative singular)
• Role: सम्बोधन (address)

• मह्यम्: to/for me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्गे चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (dative singular “to/for me”)
• Role: सम्प्रदान (recipient)

• आख्यासि: you tell/relate
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 2nd person singular, parasmaipada)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

• परमम्: supremely/exceedingly
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter accusative singular; qualifies priyam)
• Role: विशेषण (qualifier of karma)

• प्रियम्: a pleasing thing/news
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter accusative singular; object of ākhyāsi)
• Role: कर्म (object)

• एतत्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular)
• Role: कर्तृ (subject; “this” as what is to be done/considered)

• मे: my/of me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (genitive singular “of me / my”)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (possessor/relational)

• प्रियम्: dear/pleasing (thing)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter nominative singular; predicate/subject complement with etat)
• Role: प्रथमा/विशेष्य (predicate nominative; “(is) dear/pleasing”)

• आख्यातुः: of the narrator/teller
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + तृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → आख्यातृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (masculine genitive singular; agent-noun “of the teller”)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation: “of the one who told”)

• किम्: what
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (neuter accusative singular; interrogative object of karomi)
• Role: कर्म (object)

• वा: or/else
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (particle of alternative “or/else”)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बन्धक (discourse particle)

• भूयः: still more/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय/तुलनार्थ-रूप)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb; “more/further/again”)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)

• करोमि: I do / shall I do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (present indicative, 1st person singular, parasmaipada)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

• ते: for you/to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (dative singular “to/for you”)
• Role: सम्प्रदान (recipient/beneficiary)

Sandhi Notes

• इदं तु → इदम् + तु
• मह्यमाख्यासि → मह्यम् + आख्यासि
• एतन्मे → एतत् + मे
• प्रियमाख्यातुः → प्रियम् + आख्यातुः
• किं वा → किम् + वा
• भूयः करोमि → भूयः + करोमि

Context

O Manthara!, the news you have brought me is exceedingly pleasant. What more can I do for you? Here is the gift for one who brings good tidings.

The teaching

Pleasing information can intoxicate judgment; rewards given without discernment empower future harm.

Duties in tension

• Queenly duty to uphold rājadhrama and harmony vs personal desire to reward flattery/pleasing counsel
• Discernment (viveka) vs indulgence in preyas

Ethical theme

Nīti (court ethics) / viveka

For your practice

Practice of vigilance over praise and pleasant news; cultivate śreyas-oriented discernment.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shringara (love), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Pleased, indulgent, anticipatory

Themes

• Ethics
• Speech and counsel
• Reward
• Attachment
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Mantharā

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma requires discernment (viveka) in valuing information: treating “pleasing news” as automatically worthy can mislead, since truth and righteousness—not mere pleasure—should guide reward and action.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī praises Mantharā for the message and offers additional recompense, inviting further direction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Gratitude is present, but the episode highlights the need for moral discernment alongside gratitude.