Sumantra, filled with anguish, turned to Kaikeyi and spoke with a mixture of wonder and sorrow, “It is a marvel that the very earth does not split open for one whose conduct is like yours. Even the terrible, blazing curses of the great Brahmarshis, created for destruction, cannot touch one who stands so resolutely on sending Rama to exile. Who, after felling a mango tree with an axe, would tend to a neem tree? Even if watered with milk, the neem will never turn sweet. I see that your lineage is just like your mother’s, for it is said in the world that honey cannot flow from a neem tree. “We have long known, as has been told before, of your mother’s evil nature. Once, a benefactor granted your father an extraordinary boon. From that boon, your father, lord of the earth, gained the ability to understand the speech of all beings, even animals. Then, as he lay on the bed of Jṛmbha, your illustrious father heard the sounds of many creatures and laughed again and again. “Your mother, angered and desiring death, demanded of your father, ‘Tell me, I wish to know the reason for your laughter.’ The king replied, ‘O Queen, if I reveal to you the reason for my laughter, I will die at once—of this there is no doubt.’ Yet your mother, unyielding, insisted, ‘Tell me, whether you live or die, you must not deceive me.’ “Thus pressed by his beloved, the king of Kekaya spoke truthfully about the boon. The boon-giver, approvingly, replied to the king, ‘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 mind, dismissed your mother and enjoyed himself like Kubera. “In the same way, you too, following a path trodden by the wicked and deluded, are seizing this false resolve, O you who see only evil. And here, a common saying proves true: ‘Men follow after their fathers, women after their mothers.’ Do not act thus; accept what the lord of the earth has said. Attend to your husband’s wishes and be the refuge of these people. Do not, urged by sinful counsel, make your husband—equal to the king of the gods, sustainer of the world—take to unrighteousness. For your sinless husband, the illustrious King Dasharatha, lotus-eyed, will not break a promise once made, O queen. “Let Rama, the eldest, generous, accomplished, and protector of his own duty and all living beings, be consecrated as king. Otherwise, O queen, a great reproach will fall upon you in the world if Rama is sent to the forest, abandoning his royal father. Let Raghava protect the kingdom; be free from distress. For none but Raghava is fit to dwell in this noble city.” Thus, with both gentle and harsh words, Sumantra, his palms joined in supplication, tried once more to stir Kaikeyi’s heart in the royal assembly. But Kaikeyi’s face showed no sign of disturbance or distress; not even the color of her face changed. Now, listen to the thirty-sixth chapter in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda. Then, the Ikshvaku king, Dasharatha, tormented by the weight of his promise, spoke again to Sumantra, his eyes brimming with tears and his breath heavy with sighs. “O charioteer, let the army, adorned with jewels and all four divisions, be quickly prepared to accompany Raghava. Let women famed for their beauty, eloquent speakers, and wealthy merchants grace the well-ordered troops of the prince. And those who depend on him, and those with whom he delights in strength—after bestowing many gifts, assign them here as well. Let the chief weapons, the townspeople, the carts, and the hunters skilled in the forest follow Kakutstha. Hunting deer and elephants, drinking wild honey, and seeing many rivers, he will not remember the kingdom. “Whatever store of grain or treasury is mine, let all follow Rama as he dwells in the lonely forest. Performing sacrifices in holy places, giving abundant gifts, and meeting sages, he will live happily in the forest. And mighty-armed Bharata will rule Ayodhya; let all desires be fulfilled for the illustrious Rama again.” As Kaikeyi spoke thus about Kakutstha, fear arose in her; her face dried up and her voice became choked. Distressed and frightened, Kaikeyi, her face ashen, turned to the king and spoke, “Bharata will not desire a kingdom deprived of wealth, empty and devoid of enjoyment, like liquor with its spirit gone.” As Kaikeyi, having cast aside all shame, uttered these harsh words, King Dasharatha addressed her, his eyes wide as lotus petals. “Why do you strike me as I bear this yoke, having set me to this heavy task? Unworthy woman, why did you not restrain me before this deed was begun?” Hearing these words, spoken in anger, the noble lady Kaikeyi, now doubly enraged, replied to the king, “In your own lineage, Sagara banished his eldest son, Asamanja; so too should this one depart.” Thus unfolded the sorrowful events in the royal court, as hearts broke and destinies were set upon their course.