हृष्टाः खलु भविष्यन्ति रामस्य परमाः स्त्रियः। अप्रहृष्टा भविष्यन्ति स्नुषास्ते भरतक्षये
Surely, Rāma's chief wives will be delighted, while your daughters-in-law will not rejoice at Bharata's decline.
तां दृष्ट्वा परमप्रीतां ब्रुवन्तीं मन्थरां ततः। रामस्यैव गुणान् देवी कैकेयी प्रशशंस ह
Seeing Mantharā speaking thus, filled with supreme satisfaction, Queen Kaikeyī then praised only Rāma's virtues.
धमर्ज्ञो गुणवान् दान्तः कृतज्ञः सत्यवान् शुचिः। रामो राजसुतो ज्येष्ठो यौवराज्यमतोऽर्हति
Rāma, the eldest son of the king, knows righteousness, is virtuous, self-controlled, grateful, truthful, and pure; therefore, he deserves the succession.
भ्रातॄन् भृत्यांश्च दीर्घायुः पितृवत् पालयिष्यति। संतप्यसे कथं कुब्जे श्रुत्वा रामाभिषेचनम्
He, long-lived, will protect his brothers and servants like a father; so why, O hunchback, are you troubled upon hearing of Rāma's consecration?
भरतश्चापि रामस्य ध्रुवं वर्षशतात् परम्। पितृपैतामहं राज्यमवाप्स्यति नरर्षभः
And surely, after a hundred years, Bharata too, the best of men, will obtain the kingdom of his father and grandfather from Rāma.
सा त्वमभ्युदये प्राप्ते दह्यमानेव मन्थरे। भविष्यति च कल्याणे किमिदं परितप्यसे
So, when prosperity has come and happiness is at hand, why, Mantharā, do you burn within and grieve at this good fortune?
यथा वै भरतो मान्यस्तथा भूयोऽपि राघवः। कौसल्यातोऽतिरिक्तं च मम शुश्रूषते बहु
Just as Bharata is honored, so too is Rāghava even more; besides Kausalyā, he serves me greatly.
राज्यं यदि हि रामस्य भरतस्यापि तत् तदा। मन्यते हि यथाऽऽत्मानं यथा भ्रातॄंस्तु राघवः
If the kingdom is Rāma's, it is also Bharata's; for Rāghava regards his brothers as himself.
कैकेय्या वचनं श्रुत्वा मन्थरा भृशदुःखिता। दीर्घमुष्णं विनिःश्वस्य कैकेयीमिदमब्रवीत्
Hearing Kaikeyī's words, Mantharā, deeply distressed, sighed long and hot, and spoke to Kaikeyī as follows:
अनर्थदर्शिनी मौर्ख्यान्नात्मानमवबुध्यसे। शोकव्यसनविस्तीर्णे मज्जन्ती दुःखसागरे
Because of your foolishness, you do not see misfortune, nor do you understand yourself, sinking in a sea of sorrow and calamity.
भविता राघवो राजा राघवस्य च यः सुतः। राजवंशात्तु भरतः कैकेयि परिहास्यते
Rāghava will become king, and his son after him; but Bharata, O Kaikeyī, will be cast aside from the royal line.
नहि राज्ञः सुताः सर्वे राज्ये तिष्ठन्ति भामिनि। स्थाप्यमानेषु सर्वेषु सुमहाननयो भवेत्
For, O beautiful one, not all the king's sons remain in the kingdom; if all were installed, there would be great disorder.
तस्माज्ज्येष्ठे हि कैकेयि राज्यतन्त्राणि पार्थिवाः। स्थापयन्त्यनवद्याङ्गि गुणवत्स्वितरेष्वपि
Therefore, O faultless one, kings always entrust the affairs of the kingdom to the eldest, even if the others are also virtuous.
असावत्यन्तनिर्भग्नस्तव पुत्रो भविष्यति। अनाथवत् सुखेभ्यश्च राजवंशाच्च वत्सले
Your son will become utterly broken, as if orphaned, deprived of comforts and the royal lineage, O affectionate one.
साहं त्वदर्थे सम्प्राप्ता त्वं तु मां नावबुद्ध्यसे। सपत्निवृद्धौ या मे त्वं प्रदेयं दातुमर्हसि
I have come here for your sake, but you do not recognize me; you ought to give me the reward I deserve for increasing your advantage over your co-wife.
ध्रुवं तु भरतं रामः प्राप्य राज्यमकण्टकम्। देशान्तरं नाययिता लोकान्तरमथापि वा
Surely, when Rāma obtains the unchallenged kingdom, he will send Bharata to a distant land, or even to another world.
बाल एव तु मातुल्यं भरतो नायितस्त्वया। संनिकर्षाच्च सौहार्दं जायते स्थावरेष्विव
While still a child, Bharata was not kept near his maternal uncle by you; closeness breeds affection, even among the immovable.
भरतानुवशात् सोऽपि शत्रुघ्नस्तत्समं गतः। लक्ष्मणो हि यथा रामं तथायं भरतं गतः
Because of Bharata, Shatrughna too has become just like him; just as Lakṣmaṇa follows Rāma, so does he follow Bharata.
श्रूयते हि द्रुमः कश्चिच्छेत्तव्यो वनजीवनैः। संनिकर्षादिषीकाभिर्मोचितः परमाद् भयात्
It is heard that a certain tree, meant to be cut down by forest dwellers, is stripped of its branches by arrows out of great fear due to its nearness.
गोप्ता हि रामं सौमित्रिर्लक्ष्मणं चापि राघवः। अश्विनोरिव सौभ्रात्रं तयोर्लोकेषु विश्रुतम्
Rāma will surely protect Lakṣmaṇa, and Rāghava will protect Lakṣmaṇa as well; their brotherhood is renowned in the world, like that of the Aśvins.
तस्मान्न लक्ष्मणे रामः पापं किंचित् करिष्यति। रामस्तु भरते पापं कुर्यादेव न संशयः
Therefore, Rāma will not commit any wrong against Lakṣmaṇa; but Rāma might indeed commit wrong against Bharata—of this there is no doubt.
तस्माद् राजगृहादेव वनं गच्छतु राघवः। एतद्धि रोचते मह्यं भृशं चापि हितं तव
Therefore, let Rāghava go to the forest from the royal palace; this is what pleases me, and it is also greatly beneficial for you.
एवं ते ज्ञातिपक्षस्य श्रेयश्चैव भविष्यति। यदि चेद् भरतो धर्मात् पित्र्यं राज्यमवाप्स्यति
In this way, the welfare of your family will be secured, if Bharata obtains the ancestral kingdom in accordance with righteousness.
स ते सुखोचितो बालो रामस्य सहजो रिपुः। समृद्धार्थस्य नष्टार्थो जीविष्यति कथं वशे
That boy, accustomed to comfort, is a natural enemy of Rāma; how will he, deprived of prosperity, live under the control of one who has everything?
अभिद्रुतमिवारण्ये सिंहेन गजयूथपम्। प्रच्छाद्यमानं रामेण भरतं त्रातुमर्हसि
Just as a leader of elephants is chased in the forest by a lion, so must you protect Bharata, who is being overshadowed by Rāma.
दर्पान्निराकृता पूर्वं त्वया सौभाग्यवत्तया। राममाता सपत्नी ते कथं वैरं न यापयेत्
Once, due to your pride in your good fortune, you rejected Rāma's mother, your co-wife; how will she not harbor enmity toward you?
यदा च रामः पृथिवीमवाप्स्यते प्रभूतरत्नाकरशैलसंयुताम्। तदा गमिष्यस्यशुभं पराभवं सहैव दीना भरतेन भामिनि
When Rāma gains the earth, adorned with abundant treasures and mountains, then, O gentle lady, you will suffer misfortune and defeat, together with the sorrowful Bharata.
यदा हि रामः पृथिवीमवाप्स्यते ध्रुवं प्रणष्टो भरतो भविष्यति। अतो हि संचिन्तय राज्यमात्मजे परस्य चैवास्य विवासकारणम्
When Rāma gains the earth, Bharata will surely be lost; therefore, consider the kingdom for your own son, and the reason for the other's exile.
thumb|नवमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे नवमः सर्गः ॥२-
Let the ninth chapter be heard.
एवमुक्ता तु कैकेयी क्रोधेन ज्वलितानना। दीर्घमुष्णं विनिःश्वस्य मन्थरामिदमब्रवीत्
Thus addressed, Kaikeyī, her face blazing with anger, exhaled a long, hot breath and spoke these words to Mantharā.