मन्थरा तु वचः श्रुत्वा कैकेय्या मधुराक्षरम्। उवाच क्रोधसंयुक्ता वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदा
Hearing Kaikeyi’s gentle words, Manthara, skilled in speech and filled with anger, replied:
सा विषण्णतरा भूत्वा कुब्जा तस्यां हितैषिणी। विषादयन्ती प्रोवाच भेदयन्ती च राघवम्
Becoming even more dejected, the hunchback, wishing her well, spoke to her to cause distress and to alienate her from Raghava.
अक्षयं सुमहद् देवि प्रवृत्तं त्वद्विनाशनम्। रामं दशरथो राजा यौवराज्येऽभिषेक्ष्यति
O queen, a great and unending calamity has begun for you: King Dasharatha will anoint Rama as crown prince.
सास्म्यगाधे भये मग्ना दुःखशोकसमन्विता। दह्यमानानलेनेव त्वद्धितार्थमिहागता
I am plunged in deep fear, filled with sorrow and grief, burning as if by fire, and have come here for your welfare.
तव दुःखेन कैकेयि मम दुःखं महद् भवेत्। त्वद्वृद्धौ मम वृद्धिश्च भवेदिह न संशयः
Kaikeyi, your sorrow will be my great sorrow; your decline will be my decline, and your prosperity will be my prosperity—of this there is no doubt.
नराधिपकुले जाता महिषी त्वं महीपतेः। उग्रत्वं राजधर्माणां कथं देवि न बुध्यसे
Born in a royal family, you are the chief queen of the king; how is it, O queen, that you do not understand the severity of royal duties?
धर्मवादी शठो भर्ता श्लक्ष्णवादी च दारुणः। शुद्धभावेन जानीषे तेनैवमतिसंधिता
Your husband, though he speaks of righteousness, is deceitful; his words are gentle, but his nature is harsh. You, with your pure heart, trust him, and thus you have been thoroughly deceived.
उपस्थितः प्रयुञ्जानस्त्वयि सान्त्वमनर्थकम्। अर्थेनैवाद्य ते भर्ता कौसल्यां योजयिष्यति
Now he approaches you with empty consolations, but in truth, today your husband will unite Kausalya with prosperity.
अपवाह्य तु दुष्टात्मा भरतं तव बन्धुषु। काल्ये स्थापयिता रामं राज्ये निहतकण्टके
That wicked-hearted man, having removed Bharata from among your kin, will soon install Rama in the kingdom, with all obstacles destroyed.
शत्रुः पतिप्रवादेन मात्रेव हितकाम्यया। आशीविष(=सर्प) इवाङ्गेन बाले परिधृतस्त्वया
An enemy, under the guise of a husband, and a mother who claims to wish well, is like a venomous serpent embraced by a child—so have you been held.
यथा हि कुर्याच्छत्रुर्वा सर्पो वा प्रत्युपेक्षितः। राज्ञा दशरथेनाद्य सपुत्रा त्वं तथा कृता
Just as an enemy or a neglected serpent would act, so today King Dasharatha has treated you and your son.
पापेनानृतसान्त्वेन बाले नित्यं सुखोचिता। रामं स्थापयता राज्ये सानुबन्धा हता ह्यसि
O naive one, accustomed always to comfort, you have been destroyed along with your kin by the sinful one who, with false soothing words, is placing Rama on the throne.
सा प्राप्तकालं कैकेयि क्षिप्रं कुरु हितं तव। त्रायस्व पुत्रमात्मानं मां च विस्मयदर्शने
Therefore, Kaikeyi, act quickly for your own good at this opportune time; save your son, yourself, and me, who am witnessing this with astonishment.
मन्थराया वचः श्रुत्वा शयनात् सा शुभानना। उत्तस्थौ हर्षसम्पूर्णा चन्द्रलेखेव शारदी
Hearing Manthara's words, that beautiful-faced woman rose from her bed, filled with joy, like the crescent moon in autumn.
अतीव सा तु संतुष्टा कैकेयी विस्मयान्विता। दिव्यमाभरणं तस्यै कुब्जायै प्रददौ शुभम्
Kaikeyi, exceedingly pleased and filled with wonder, gave that hunchbacked woman a splendid divine ornament.
दत्त्वा त्वाभरणं तस्यै कुब्जायै प्रमदोत्तमा। कैकेयी मन्थरां हृष्टा पुनरेवाब्रवीदिदम्
Having given the ornament to the hunchbacked woman, the excellent lady Kaikeyi, delighted, spoke again to Manthara.
इदं तु मन्थरे मह्यमाख्यातं परमं प्रियम्। एतन्मे प्रियमाख्यातं किं वा भूयः करोमि ते
"This most pleasing news you have told me, Manthara, is truly dear to me. Tell me what more I can do for you, since you have brought me such joy."
रामे वा भरते वाहं विशेषं नोपलक्षये। तस्मात् तुष्टास्मि यद् राजा रामं राज्येऽभिषेक्ष्यति
"I see no difference between Rama and Bharata; therefore, I am pleased that the king will anoint Rama as heir to the throne."
न मे परं किंचिदितो वरं पुनः प्रियं प्रियार्हे सुवचं वचोऽमृतम्। तथा ह्यवोचस्त्वमतः प्रियोत्तरं वरं परं ते प्रददामि तं वृणु
"There is no greater boon for me than this. You, who are worthy of affection, have spoken sweet and delightful words, like nectar. Since you have spoken thus, I grant you the highest and best boon—choose what you desire."
thumb|अष्टमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टमः सर्गः ॥२-
Listen now to the eighth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Ayodhyā section.
मन्थरा त्वभ्यसूय्यैनामुत्सृज्याभरणं हि तत्। उवाचेदं ततो वाक्यं कोपदुःखसमन्विता
But Manthara, envious, cast aside the ornament and, filled with anger and sorrow, spoke these words.
हर्षं किमर्थमस्थाने कृतवत्यसि बालिशे। शोकसागरमध्यस्थं नात्मानमवबुध्यसे
"Why have you, foolish one, rejoiced without cause? Do you not realize that you are in the midst of an ocean of sorrow?"
मनसा प्रसहामि त्वां देवि दुःखार्दिता सती। यच्छोचितव्ये हृष्टासि प्राप्य त्वं व्यसनं महत्
"Though I am overwhelmed by grief, I restrain myself for your sake, O queen. Why are you joyful when you should be mourning, having encountered such great misfortune?"
शोचामि दुर्मतित्वं ते का हि प्राज्ञा प्रहर्षयेत्। अरेः सपत्नीपुत्रस्य वृद्धिं मृत्योरिवागताम्
"I grieve for your lack of understanding. What wise woman would rejoice at the rise of a rival wife's son, as if death itself had come?"
भरतादेव रामस्य राज्यसाधारणाद् भयम्। तद् विचिन्त्य विषण्णास्मि भयं भीताद्धि जायते
It is out of fear for Rāma, not just for Bharata, regarding the sharing of the kingdom; having considered this, I am distressed, for fear arises from one who is afraid.
लक्ष्मणो हि महाबाहू रामं सर्वात्मना गतः। शत्रुघ्नश्चापि भरतं काकुत्स्थं लक्ष्मणो यथा
For mighty-armed Lakṣmaṇa is wholly devoted to Rāma, and likewise, Śatrughna is to Bharata as Lakṣmaṇa is to the scion of Kakutstha.
प्रत्यासन्नक्रमेणापि भरतस्यैव भामिनि। राज्यक्रमो विसृष्टस्तु तयोस्तावद्यवीयसोः
Even though, O beautiful one, the succession should have come to Bharata by the order of proximity, the royal succession has been assigned to those two who are younger.
सुभगा किल कौसल्या यस्याः पुत्रोऽभिषेक्ष्यते। यौवराज्येन महता श्वः पुष्येण द्विजोत्तमैः
Indeed, fortunate is Kausalyā, whose son will be consecrated tomorrow to the great office of crown prince, under the Pushya constellation, by the foremost of Brāhmaṇas.
प्राप्तां वसुमतीं प्रीतिं प्रतीतां हतविद्विषम्। उपस्थास्यसि कौसल्यां दासीवत् त्वं कृताञ्जलिः
When the earth, filled with joy and confidence, is won and enemies are subdued, you will attend upon Kausalyā with joined palms, like a servant.
एवं च त्वं सहास्माभिस्तस्याः प्रेष्या भविष्यसि। पुत्रश्च तव रामस्य प्रेष्यत्वं हि गमिष्यति
Thus, together with us, you will become her attendant, and your son will become a servant to Rāma.