Mantharā, ever scheming and filled with malice toward Rāma, spoke urgently to Queen Kaikeyī. She assured her that Rāma would never wrong his devoted brother Lakṣmaṇa, but there was no doubt that Rāma might indeed wrong Bharata. Therefore, Mantharā insisted, it was best for Kaikeyī to send Rāma away to the forest from the royal palace. This, she said, was not only pleasing to herself but also greatly beneficial to Kaikeyī. She pressed further, explaining that the welfare of Kaikeyī’s family would be secured only if Bharata, her own son, obtained the ancestral kingdom in accordance with righteousness. “That boy,” Mantharā said, referring to Bharata, “is accustomed to comfort and is naturally an enemy of Rāma. How could he, deprived of prosperity, live under the authority of one who possesses everything?” She compared the situation to a leader of elephants being chased in the forest by a lion, urging Kaikeyī to protect Bharata, who was overshadowed by Rāma. Mantharā reminded Kaikeyī of the time, out of pride in her own good fortune, she had rejected Kausalyā, Rāma’s mother and her co-wife. “How will she not harbor enmity toward you?” she asked. If Rāma were to gain the earth, adorned with treasures and mountains, Kaikeyī and her beloved Bharata would be left to suffer misfortune and defeat. The loss would be certain, for Rāma’s ascension meant Bharata’s ruin. Mantharā urged Kaikeyī to consider her son’s future and the reason for Rāma’s exile. Now, Kaikeyī, her mind inflamed and her face burning with anger, exhaled a long, hot breath. She turned to Mantharā and declared, “Today, I will quickly send Rāma away to the forest, and I will swiftly ensure that Bharata is anointed as prince. Now, consider how I might accomplish this, so that Bharata obtains the kingdom and Rāma does not, by any means.” Mantharā, always seeking to harm Rāma and skilled in evil counsel, replied to her mistress. “Listen carefully, Kaikeyī, and heed my words, so that your son Bharata alone will obtain the kingdom. Why do you not remember—or why do you conceal—what is in your own interest? If you wish to hear what I have to say, then listen attentively and act accordingly.” Hearing Mantharā’s words, Kaikeyī rose slightly from her well-spread bed and responded, eager for guidance. Mantharā then reminded her of a momentous event from the past. Long ago, during the great war between the gods and demons, King Daśaratha had taken Kaikeyī with him to assist the lord of the gods. They had gone southward to the city of Vaijayantam, where the shark-banner flew. There, the terrible demon Śambara, master of a hundred magical illusions, fought fiercely against Indra and could not be defeated by the gods. In that fierce battle, the demons would attack at night, killing the wounded and the sleeping. King Daśaratha fought valiantly, but his mighty arms were shattered by weapons. Kaikeyī had carried her unconscious husband from the battlefield, protecting him even as she herself was wounded. Pleased by her devotion, Daśaratha had granted Kaikeyī two boons, telling her she could claim them whenever she wished. At that time, Kaikeyī had replied that she would ask for them when she desired, and her great-souled husband agreed. Mantharā confessed that she had not known of this until Kaikeyī herself had revealed it earlier. Now, Mantharā urged, it was time to use those boons. She advised Kaikeyī to stop the preparations for Rāma’s consecration and to turn them back. She was to ask Daśaratha for two things: the anointing of Bharata as prince and the exile of Rāma to the forest for fourteen years. “For those fourteen years while Rāma dwells in the forest,” Mantharā said, “your son, loved by the people, will become firmly established. Today, enter the chamber of anger, as if enraged with the king, and remain hidden there on the ground, wearing soiled garments. Do not look at him or speak to him. When the king, longing for you and filled with sorrow, comes to you, remain weeping but do not address him.” She continued, “You are always dear to your husband—there is no doubt. For your sake, the great king would even enter fire or give up his life. He cannot become angry with you, nor can he bear to see you angry. The king cannot transgress your word. Understand the power of your own good fortune.” Mantharā warned Kaikeyī not to be distracted by pearls, jewels, or gold that the king might offer to appease her. Instead, she should remind him of the two boons he had granted her during the battle of the gods and demons, for that promise must not be broken. “When Rāghava himself raises you up and the great king is present, then choose your boon,” Mantharā instructed. “Let Rāma’s exile be for fourteen years—nine and five—and let Bharata be made king on earth. During those years, your son will grow strong and remain established. O queen, ask for this boon—the exile of Rāma. In this way, all your son’s desires will be fulfilled.