Valmiki Ramayana 2.35.25 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 25
सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा
Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly
ततः स्स वरदः साधुराजानं प्रत्यभाषत।म्रियतां ध्वंसतां वेयं मा कृथास्त्वं महीपते।।2.35.25।।
tataḥ sa varadaḥ sādhu rājānaṁ pratyabhāṣata | mriyatāṁ dhvaṁsatāṁ vā iyaṁ mā kṛthās tvaṁ mahīpate ||2.35.25||
Lalu sang suci pemberi anugerah itu menjawab raja: “Biarlah wanita itu mati, atau biarlah ia membinasakan dirinya; tetapi tuanku, wahai raja, jangan sekali-kali mendedahkannya.”
That holy man who had granted the boon (to the king) had said, 'Let her die or destroy herself, but do not disclose (the cause of your laughter).
FAQs
A tension between truth and secrecy: the verse portrays an instruction to conceal a cause, raising questions about when silence is chosen over disclosure.
In the recalled episode, the boon-giver responds to the king, permitting a grim outcome for the woman but commanding the king not to reveal the matter.
Authority of ascetic speech and the king’s restraint/obedience to a directive, even when emotionally costly.
Ask anything about this verse
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.