Then, in the palace, a voice rose in anguish, addressing Queen Kaikeyi with bitter reproach. “For her sake, O King Daśaratha, you have abandoned your own devoted wife—he who is the sovereign of all the worlds, both moving and unmoving. O Queen, there is no act more grievous than yours; I see you as one who brings ruin upon her husband, and ultimately, as the destroyer of her own lineage. “By your actions, you torment one who is like Indra himself—unconquerable; as steadfast as a mountain; as unshaken as the great ocean. Do not look down upon King Daśaratha, your own husband and benefactor. For a husband’s wish, O Queen, is for a woman more precious than even a hundred million sons. “Just as, when a king dies, the kingdom passes according to seniority, so now you seek to deprive the lord of the Ikṣvāku line of his rightful heir. Let your son Bharata become king and rule the earth if you must, but know this: we will go wherever Rāma goes. “No Brahmin should remain in your realm, for today you are about to commit a most unrighteous deed. Surely, we all shall follow the path Rāma takes, abandoned by relatives, by Brahmins, and by the virtuous. What joy will you find, O Queen, in gaining the kingdom when it is stained by such disgrace? “It is a wonder to me that the earth does not split open at once for one whose conduct is like yours. Even the terrible, blazing, awe-inspiring rods of the great Brahmarṣis, created for cursing, do not harm one who persists in sending Rāma to exile. Who, after cutting down a sweet mango tree, would tend to a bitter neem? Even if watered with milk, it will not become sweet. “I think your lineage is much like your mother’s, for it is said in the world that honey does not flow from a neem tree. We have heard before of your mother’s evil nature. Once, a benefactor granted your father, the lord of the earth, an excellent boon: he was given the power to understand the speech of all beings, even animals. “One day, as your father lay on the bed of Jṛmbha, he listened to the voices of many creatures and laughed again and again. Your mother, angered and courting destruction, demanded to know the reason for his laughter. The king replied, ‘O Queen, if I tell you the cause of my laughter, I will die at once—of this there is no doubt.’ Yet your mother pressed him: ‘Tell me, whether you live or die, do not deceive me.’ “Thus compelled by his beloved, the king of Kekaya remembered the boon. The boon-giver, approving, replied, ‘Let this not be spoken of, O lord of the earth, whether it leads to death or destruction.’ Hearing these words, the king, pleased in heart, dismissed your mother and enjoyed himself like Kubera. “In the same way, you too, following a path of the wicked, are seized by this false resolve, blinded by delusion. Indeed, the old saying proves true: ‘Men follow after their fathers, women after their mothers.’ “Do not act so, O Queen. Accept what the lord of the earth has said. Attend to your husband’s wishes, and be the refuge of your people. Do not, urged by sinful counsel, cause your husband—equal to the king of the gods, the sustainer of the world—to stray into unrighteousness. “Your sinless husband, the illustrious King Daśaratha, lotus-eyed, will not break a promise once made, O Queen. Let Rāma, the eldest, generous and accomplished, protector of dharma and of all beings, be consecrated as king. “For if Rāma, abandoning his royal father, is sent to the forest, a great reproach will spread about you in the world. Let Rāghava protect the kingdom—be free from distress. None but Rāghava is fit to dwell in this noble city.” Thus, Sumantra, with both gentle and harsh words, his hands joined in supplication, sought to stir Kaikeyi’s heart in the royal assembly. Yet the queen showed no agitation or distress; not even the color of her face changed. Now begins the next chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa. Afflicted by the burden of his promise, Ikṣvāku King Daśaratha, with tears streaming and deep sighs, spoke again to Sumantra: “O charioteer, quickly prepare the army, adorned with jewels and all four divisions, to accompany Rāghava. Let women famed for their beauty, eloquent speakers, and wealthy merchants embellish the well-arranged ranks of the prince. “Those who depend on him, and those in whom he delights for their strength—after bestowing upon them many gifts, assign them here as well. Let the chief weapons, the townspeople, the carts, and the hunters skilled in the ways of the forest follow Kakutstha. Hunting deer and elephants, drinking wild honey, and seeing many rivers, perhaps he will not remember the kingdom. “Whatever store of grain or treasure is mine, let both follow Rāma as he dwells in the lonely forest.” Thus did the king, bound by his word, prepare to send his beloved son into exile, while the court and the city trembled with sorrow and disbelief.