Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.14: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 14
मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi
उत्तिष्ठ मूढे किं शेषे भयं त्वामभिवर्तते ।
उपप्लुतामौघेन किमात्मानं न बुध्यसे ॥१४॥
uttiṣṭha mūḍhe kiṃ śeṣe bhayaṃ tvām abhivartate |
upaplutām aughena kim ātmānaṃ na budhyase ||14||
లే, మూర్ఖురాలా! ఎందుకు నిద్రపోతున్నావు? భయం నీపైకి దూసుకొస్తోంది. అపాయాల ప్రవాహంలో కొట్టుకుపోతున్న నీ స్థితిని ఎందుకు గ్రహించట్లేదు?
O senseless one, why are you lying down? Get up! A great fear is gripping you. Why don't you realise that you are floating in a sea of perils.
FAQs
It illustrates how adharma often begins with distortion: fear is used as a tool to override calm discernment (viveka), pulling a person away from truthful judgment (satya).
Mantharā abruptly wakes Kaikeyī and tries to alarm her, claiming imminent danger.
The need for discernment and steadiness (a virtue implied by its absence): Kaikeyī is urged away from calm reason by Mantharā’s panic-inducing rhetoric.
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