Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 23

मन्थराप्रवेशः

Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi

Devanagari script

नराधिपकुले जाता महिषी त्वं महीपतेः।उग्रत्वं राजधर्माणां कथं देवि न बुध्यसे।।।।

Transliteration

narādhipakule jātā mahiṣī tvaṃ mahīpateḥ | ugratvaṃ rājadharmāṇāṃ kathaṃ devi na budhyase ||

Translation

王后啊，你出身王族，又为君王的正妃；你怎会不明白王权之责与朝政之事所伴随的严酷呢？

Word by Word

• narādhipa-kule: in a royal family
• narādhipa-kule: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘narādhipasya kulam’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• jātā: born
• jātā: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘born’

• mahiṣī: queen-consort
• mahiṣī: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mahīpateḥ: of the king
• mahīpateḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahīpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• ugratvam: harshness, severity
• ugratvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugratva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• rāja-dharmāṇām: of royal duties/statecraft
• rāja-dharmāṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘rājñaḥ dharmāḥ’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• devi: O queen
• devi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Niṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation)

• budhyase: you understand, you realize
• budhyase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

O queen, born in the royal family and being a king's consort why don't you realise the ruthless ways of statecraft?

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī
• Rājadharma (royal duty/statecraft)

FAQs

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

It references rājadharma: governance often involves hard decisions; dharmically, such harshness must still be guided by justice and truth, not factional gain.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā rebukes Kaikeyī for naivety and frames succession as ruthless political terrain.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom (nīti-jñāna) is urged—though Mantharā’s use of it is meant to provoke fear and action.