Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.28: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 28
मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi
Spoken by Manthara to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā palacePlaces named: Ayodhyā
यथा हि कुर्यात्सर्पो वा शत्रुर्वा प्रत्युपेक्षितः ।
राज्ञा दशरथेनाद्य सपुत्रा त्वं तथा कृता ॥२८॥
yathā hi kuryāt sarpo vā śatrur vā pratyupekṣitaḥ |
rājñā daśarathenādya saputrā tvaṃ tathā kṛtā ||28||
Sebagaimana ular yang diabaikan—atau musuh yang dipandang ringan—akan bertindak, demikianlah pada hari ini Raja Daśaratha telah memperlakukanmu, bersama puteramu.
Sandhi Notes
- कुर्यात्सर्पो = कुर्यात् + सर्पः (त् + स)
- शत्रुर्वा = शत्रुः + वा (विसर्गलोप)
- दशरथेनाद्य = दशरथेन + अद्य (a-sandhi)
King Dasaratha has done to you and to your son the same thing as a snake or anenemy would do when ignored.
The teaching
Perceived neglect can be weaponized into grievance; dharma requires measured response, not analogy-driven rage.
Duties in tension
- King’s duty to honor all queens fairly vs political necessity/affection toward Rāma’s mother
- Queen’s duty to maintain household harmony vs duty to advocate for her son
- Ethical theme
- Apamāna-krodha; rājadharma; gṛhakalaha
For your practice
Practice kṣamā (forbearance) and inquiry before acting on insult narratives.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Raudra (fury), with Bhayanaka (fear)
- Mood
- Injured, provoked, menacing
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Injustice (alleged)
- Rhetorical comparison
- Family conflict
The mind, when it labels itself ‘neglected,’ generates reactive identity; from ahaṃkāra arises krodha and further bondage.
Warning against pramāda (heedlessness): negligence leads to downfall (a recurring śruti-smṛti ethic).
- Manthara and Kaikeyi
- Fear-mongering advisor (adversarial)
- Dasharatha and Kaikeyi
- Husband-wife; alleged neglect/insult
- Dasharatha and Bharata
- Father-son; Bharata’s interests implicated (mixed)
- Kaikeyi and Bharata
- Mother-son; shared slight ‘sapuत्रा’
Mahābhārata: pramāda/neglect leading to enmity (thematic); Rāmacaritamānasa Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Kaikeyī’s sense of being wronged (parallel sentiment)
Nīti maxims: ‘neglected enemy becomes dangerous’
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Kaikeyī’s later demand of boons as ‘response’ to perceived neglect
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Solemn
Steady, weighty cadence; stress on pratyupekṣita and tathā kṛtā
FAQs
It frames neglect as ethically dangerous; dharma in relationships and rule requires attentive fairness, not disregard that breeds hostility.
Mantharā argues that Kaikeyī and Bharata are being strategically ignored, likening it to provoking a snake/enemy.
Respectful attention to obligations is the implied virtue—presented as lacking in Daśaratha, according to Mantharā.
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