Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 8, Shloka 3
मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः — Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī
Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm
मनसा प्रहसामि त्वां देवि दुःखार्दिता सती।यच्छोचितव्ये हृष्टाऽसि प्राप्येदं व्यसनं महत्।।2.8.3।।
manasā prahasāmi tvāṃ devi duḥkhārditā satī |
yac chocitavye hṛṣṭā ’si prāpya idaṃ vyasanaṃ mahat ||2.8.3||
اے دیوی! اگرچہ میں دکھ سے نڈھال ہوں، پھر بھی دل ہی دل میں میں تجھ پر ہنستی ہوں؛ کیونکہ جہاں تجھے رونا چاہیے تھا وہاں تو خوشی منا رہی ہے، حالانکہ یہ بڑی آفت آن پڑی ہے۔
O queen! at a time when this great misfortune has befallen you, you are rejoicinginstead of feeling miserable. I am indeed laughing at you at heart.
FAQs
It underscores the need for right discernment (viveka) in moral life: rejoicing at what is framed as another’s success can be portrayed as dangerous when driven by rivalry; dharma requires truthful appraisal rather than reactive emotion.
At the outset of her provocation, Mantharā rebukes Kaikeyī for being pleased at news that favors Rāma, insisting it is actually a calamity for Kaikeyī’s interests.
The verse implicitly calls for prudence and discernment; it also displays Mantharā’s skill in psychological pressure rather than virtue.