Valmiki Ramayana 2.78.25 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 78, Shloka 25

अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः — Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint

Mantharā Episode

Devanagari script

सा पादमूले कैकेय्या मन्थरा निपपात ह।निश्श्वसन्ती सुदुःखार्ता कृपणं विललाप च।।।।

Transliteration

sā pādamūle kaikeyyā mantharā nipapāta ha |

niśśvasantī suduḥkhārtā kṛpaṇaṁ vilalāpa ca ||

Translation

മന്തര കൈകേയിയുടെ പാദമൂലത്തിൽ വീണു; ആഴമേറിയ നിശ്വാസങ്ങൾ വിട്ടുകൊണ്ട്, അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖപീഡിതയായി ദീനമായി വിലപിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पादमूले: at the feet (at the foot-base)
• पादमूले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद + मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पादस्य मूले)

• कैकेय्याः: of Kaikeyī
• कैकेय्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मन्थरा: Mantharā
• मन्थरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्थरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निपपात: fell down
• निपपात: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः नि-

• ह: indeed (narrative particle)
• ह: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; narrative emphasis)

• निश्श्वसन्ती: sighing deeply
• निश्श्वसन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वस् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपसर्गः निस्- (निः-); विशेषणम् (qualifying mantharā)

• सुदुःखार्ता: severely afflicted with grief
• सुदुःखार्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुःख + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (सुदुःखेन आर्ता)

• कृपणम्: piteously, wretchedly
• कृपणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणवत् नपुंसक-द्वितीया-एकवचन-रूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• विललाप: lamented
• विललाप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः वि-

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Context

And why did not Lakshmana who is strong and powerful release Rama from exile by restraining our father?

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates karmic and social consequence: those who incite adharma may later seek shelter in the very networks they helped destabilize.

What is the narrative situation?

After being threatened/handled by Śatrughna, Mantharā collapses before Kaikeyī in distress and begins to wail.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a cautionary lens: emotional collapse and fear show the fragility of manipulative power once consequences arrive.