Valmiki Ramayana 2.35.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 22
सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा
Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly
नृपश्चोवाच तां देवीं देवि शंसामि ते यदि ।
ततो मे मरणं सद्यो भविष्यति न संशयः ॥२२॥
nṛpaś covāca tāṃ devīṃ devi śaṃsāmi te yadi |
tato me maraṇaṃ sadyo bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ ||22||
Raja pun bersabda kepada permaisuri: “Wahai Devi, jika aku menceritakannya kepadamu, nescaya aku akan mati serta-merta—tiada syak lagi.”
'O queen! if I disclose it, then I will undoubtedly die that very movement' replied the king to his wife.
FAQs
Satya (truth) can be constrained by prior conditions and consequences; dharma sometimes forces a tragic choice between disclosure and self-preservation, showing the weight of boons, curses, and spoken conditions in itihāsa.
In the backstory, the king warns his queen that revealing the reason for his laughter will bring immediate death upon him.
Caution and foresight: the king recognizes a binding fatal condition tied to disclosure.
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