Shloka 61
सत्यपाशः
Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise
यदा वक्तुं स्वयं दैन्यान्न शशाक महीपतिः।।।।तदा सुमन्त्रं मन्त्रज्ञा कैकेयी प्रत्युवाच ह।
yadā vaktuṃ svayaṃ dainyān na śaśāka mahīpatiḥ | tadā sumantraṃ mantrajñā kaikeyī pratyuvāca ha ||
Apabila tuan bagi bumi itu, kerana kesengsaraan, tidak mampu berkata-kata sendiri, maka Kaikeyi—yang mahir dalam musyawarah—menjawab Sumantra.
When the king himself in that wretched state was not able to speak to Sumantra, crafty Kaikeyi said to him in reply:
FAQs
The verse warns how power can shift when rightful authority is incapacitated; dharma requires vigilance so that counsel and speech serve truth rather than manipulation.
Daśaratha, overcome by grief, cannot respond; Kaikeyī steps in and speaks to Sumantra.
Kaikeyī’s strategic agency (mantrajñā) is emphasized—presented as skill in counsel, though the broader episode frames it with moral ambiguity.