Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.37: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 37
मन्थराप्रेरणा · वरद्वय-स्मरणं च
Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons
सा हि वाक्येन कुब्जायाः किशोरीवोत्पथं गता ॥३७॥
कैकेयी विस्मयं प्राप्ता परं परमदर्शना ।
sā hi vākyena kubjāyāḥ kiśorīva utpathaṁ gatā ||37||
kaikeyī vismayaṁ prāptā paraṁ parama-darśanā |
Kaikeyī, choć słynąca z jasnego osądu, zdumiała się słowami garbatej i, jak niedojrzała dziewczyna, zboczyła na fałszywą ścieżkę.
That Kaikeyi, even though endowed with sound foresight, expressed her sense of wonder at the words of the hunchback and chose a wrong path like a young (immature) girl.
FAQs
Even the wise can fall when emotion and flattery override truth. Dharma requires steadiness of judgment, especially when counsel leads toward harm and injustice.
Mantharā’s rhetoric shocks and sways Kaikeyī; the narration marks Kaikeyī’s decisive moral deviation.
Mature discernment is contrasted with impulsive wonder; the verse stresses the virtue of self-control and careful reflection before acting.
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