With a voice both gentle and severe, Sumantra addressed Kaikeyi in the royal court, seeking to pierce her hardened heart with reason and compassion. He said, “Who, after cutting down a mango tree with an axe, would then tend a neem tree? Even if you water the neem with milk, it will never become sweet. I see your lineage follows your mother’s ways, for it is well known 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 a marvelous boon: he gained the power to understand the speech of all creatures, even animals. As he lay upon the bed of Jṛmbha, your illustrious father heard the voices of many beings and laughed again and again. Your mother, angered and driven by a deathly resolve, demanded of your father, ‘Tell me why you laugh—I must know the reason.’ “The king replied, ‘O Queen, if I reveal the cause of my laughter, I will die instantly—there is no doubt.’ Yet your mother pressed him relentlessly: ‘Tell me, whether you live or die, you must not deceive me.’ Thus compelled by his beloved, the king spoke truthfully of the boon he had received. The boon-giver, approvingly, then said to the king, ‘Let this not be spoken of, O lord of the earth, whether it leads to death or destruction.’ Hearing this, your father was pleased, dismissed your mother, and enjoyed himself like Kubera. “In this way, you too, following a path favored by the wicked, are seized by a false and deluded resolve, O you who see only evil. And thus, the old saying rings true: ‘Men follow after their fathers, women after their mothers.’ “Do not act in this manner. Accept the word of the lord of the earth. Attend to your husband’s wishes and be the refuge of these people. Do not, urged by sinful counsel, cause your husband—equal to the king of the gods, sustainer of the world—to embrace unrighteousness. Your sinless husband, the illustrious King Dasharatha, lotus-eyed, will not break his word, O queen. “Let Rama, eldest, generous, accomplished, and protector of dharma and all beings, be consecrated as king. Otherwise, a great reproach will fall upon you if Rama is sent to the forest, abandoning his royal father. Let Raghava protect the kingdom and be free from distress, for none but he is fit to dwell in this noble city.” Thus, Sumantra, with joined palms, spoke both gently and harshly, seeking to move Kaikeyi’s heart. But the queen showed no sign of disturbance or distress; her face did not change in the slightest. Now begins the thirty-sixth chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa. Afflicted by the burden of his promise, King Dasharatha, tears streaming down his face and sighing deeply, spoke again to Sumantra: “O charioteer, quickly prepare the army—rich with jewels and all four divisions—to accompany Raghava. Let women of beauty, eloquent speakers, and wealthy merchants adorn the prince’s well-arranged troops. Assign to him all those who depend on him or delight in his strength, and bestow many gifts upon them. “Let the chief weapons, the townspeople, the carts, and the skilled hunters all follow Kakutstha. Hunting deer and elephants, drinking wild honey, and seeing many rivers, he will not remember the kingdom. Whatever stores of grain or treasures I possess, let them follow Rama into the lonely forest. Performing sacrifices in holy places, giving abundant gifts, and meeting with sages, he will live happily in the forest. Mighty-armed Bharata will rule Ayodhyā, and may all desires be fulfilled for the illustrious Rama once more.” As Kaikeyi heard the king speak thus about Kakutstha, fear overtook her; her face grew dry, her voice choked. Distressed and frightened, she turned toward Dasharatha and said, “Bharata will not desire a kingdom stripped of wealth, empty and devoid of enjoyment, like liquor with its spirit gone.” Having cast off all shame, Kaikeyi spoke these harsh words, and King Dasharatha, his eyes wide as lotus petals, addressed her: “Why do you strike me as I bear this heavy yoke? Unworthy woman, why did you not restrain me before this deed was begun?” Hearing these words, Kaikeyi, doubly enraged, replied, “In your own lineage, Sagara banished his eldest son, Asamañja; so too should this one depart.” Thus rebuked with “Shame on you!” King Dasharatha replied, and all the people were ashamed, though Kaikeyi did not understand their grief. Then, an aged minister named Siddhartha, pure and highly esteemed by the king, rose and spoke to Kaikeyi, his words measured and wise.