Valmiki Ramayana 2.8.36: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 8, Shloka 36

मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः · Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī

Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm

Spoken by Manthara to KaikeyiSetting: AyodhyaPlaces named: araṇya (forest) (as simile setting)

Devanagari script

अभिद्रुतमिवारण्ये सिंहेन गजयूथपम् ।

प्रच्छाद्यमानं रामेण भरतं त्रातुमर्हसि ॥३६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.8.36

Transliteration

abhidrutam ivāraṇye siṃhena gajayūthapam |

pracchādyamānaṃ rāmeṇa bharataṃ trātum arhasi ||36||

Translation

വനത്തിൽ സിംഹം ആനക്കൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ നായകനെ ആക്രമിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, രാമൻ ഭരതനെ മൂടിപ്പിടിച്ച് കീഴടക്കും; അതിനാൽ അവനെ രക്ഷിക്കേണ്ടത് നിനക്കു യുക്തമാണ്.

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Word by Word

• abhidrutam: attacked / chased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhi-dru (धातु)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; upamāna-object with gajayūthapam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक (like)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)

• āraṇye: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: āraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• siṃhena: by a lion
• Type: Noun
• Root: siṃha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• gajayūthapam: the leader of an elephant herd
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + yūthapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास (गजानां यूथपः = leader of elephants); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• pracchādyamānam: being overpowered/covered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-chad (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-कृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘being covered/overpowered’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• rāmeṇa: by Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• bharatam: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• trātum: to save
• Type: Verb
• Root: trā (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), ‘to save’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• arhasi: you ought
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• abhidrutam + iva + āraṇye → abhidrutamivāraṇye
• pracchādyamānam + rāmeṇa → pracchādyamānaṅ rāmēṇa (anusvāra sandhi)

Context

Like the leader of an elephant-herd attacked by a lion in the forest, Bharata is going to be oppressed by Rama. You should save him.

The teaching

When fear is dressed as protection, adharma can masquerade as duty; discern motives before action.

Duties in tension

• Protecting Bharata
• Maintaining justice toward Rama
• Upholding royal succession order

Ethical theme

Nīti (policy) corrupted by bhaya

How it resolves

Manipulative reframing of dharma as ‘rescue’ to justify usurpation

For your practice

Observe how metaphors can hijack judgment; cultivate satya and śama before decisions.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Panic, predation, alarm

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Simile (Upamā)
• Maternal Duty (framed)
• Manipulative Counsel
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī
• Bharata
• Rāma
• Araṇya (forest, as simile setting)
• Siṃha (lion, simile)

FAQs

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

It appeals to a mother’s protective duty, but redirects it toward unjust rivalry. Dharma would protect children without violating truth and fairness toward others.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā uses a vivid animal simile to intensify Kaikeyī’s fear that Rāma will dominate Bharata.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protectiveness is invoked as a virtue, though the verse shows how that impulse can be manipulated into adharma when paired with suspicion.