Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 18

मन्थराप्रवेशः · Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi

Setting: Ayodhyā (inner palace chamber)

Devanagari script

मन्थरा तु वच श्श्रुत्वा कैकेय्या मधुराक्षरम् ।

उवाच क्रोधसंयुक्ता वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदा ॥१८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.7.18

Transliteration

mantharā tu vacaḥ śrutvā kaikeyyā madhurākṣaram |

uvāca krodhasaṃyuktā vākyaṃ vākyaviśāradā ||18||

Translation

کیکئی کے شیریں الفاظ سن کر منتھرا—جو بات چیت میں ماہر تھی مگر غضب سے بھری ہوئی—جواب دینے لگی۔

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Word by Word

• mantharā: Mantharā
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantharā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• tu: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)

• vacaḥ: words
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• śrutvā: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/gerund), ‘having heard’
• Role: Pūrvakāla (पूर्वकाल)

• kaikeyyāḥ: of Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• madhura-akṣaram: sweet-syllabled, in sweet accents
• Type: Adjective
• Root: madhura (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (vacaḥ)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• uvāca: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• krodha-saṃyuktā: filled with anger
• Type: Adjective
• Root: krodha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyukta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: ‘krodhena saṃyuktā’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (mantharā)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• vākyam: a statement, words
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• vākya-viśāradā: skilled in speech
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + viśārada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी/विषय-तत्पुरुषः: ‘vākye viśāradā’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (mantharā)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• vacaḥ śrutvā (visarga before ś)
• madhurākṣaram = madhura + akṣaram

Context

Hearing the words of Kaikeyi uttered in a gentle voice, wrathful Manthara skilled in speech, said:

The teaching

Eloquence without ethical restraint becomes a tool of harm; anger corrupts counsel.

Duties in tension

• Using speech for truth and welfare vs using it for manipulation
• Attendant’s loyalty to queen vs fomenting adharma in the kingdom

Ethical theme

Nīti (ethics of speech/counsel)

For your practice

Reminder for vāk-śuddhi and krodha-nigraha (restraint of anger) as daily sādhana.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Sharp, calculating, heated

Themes

• Ethics (rhetorical power)
• Adharma (anger-driven counsel)
• Narrative
• Speech and persuasion

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Speech is morally charged: rhetorical skill without truthfulness (satya) and goodwill becomes dangerous, showing why dharma demands restraint and right intention in counsel.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī speaks gently; Mantharā, though angry, prepares a calculated response, leveraging her verbal skill.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse spotlights communicative ability; ethically, it implies that true virtue is aligning speech-skill with truth and benevolence—not anger.