Kaikeyi Trembles beneath the Future Manthara Has Invented
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 20
Doha 20 · Movement 1 of 2
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Kaikeyi stands stunned by Manthara's bitter vision. Sweat breaks across her body and she trembles like a plantain tree, while the maid herself bites her tongue at the force of the fear she has awakened.
Manthara pours out more deceit and tells the queen to take courage. Kaikeyi begins interpreting a twitching eye and unspoken evil dreams as proof that the warning is true.
She calls herself guileless, unable to distinguish favourable from unfavourable signs. The simplicity she once trusted now appears as helpless blindness. Fear has not produced new events; it has reached backward into the queen's memory and rearranged every neglected omen around an imagined disaster.
Under Manthara's words, even Kaikeyi's dreams and trembling eye become witnesses against her peace.
Read the passage from the Manas
कैकयसुता सुनत कटु बानी। कहि न सकइ कछु सहमि सुखानी।। तन पसेउ कदली जिमि काँपी। कुबरीं दसन जीभ तब चाँपी।। कहि कहि कोटिक कपट कहानी। धीरजु धरहु प्रबोधिसि रानी।। फिरा करमु प्रिय लागि कुचाली। बकिहि सराहइ मानि मराली।। सुनु मंथरा बात फुरि तोरी। दहिनि आँखि नित फरकइ मोरी।। दिन प्रति देखउँ राति कुसपने। कहउँ न तोहि मोह बस अपने।। काह करौ सखि सूध सुभाऊ। दाहिन बाम न जानउँ काऊ।।
Kaikeyi heard those bitter words, and stood stunned, unable to speak, withered with fear. Her body broke into sweat and trembled like a plantain tree. The hunchbacked maid then bit her own tongue in alarm. Recounting a million deceitful tales, Manthara consoled the queen, saying, "Take courage, hold your patience." Fortune turned in her favour through crooked counsel. The crane began to praise itself, believing it was a swan. "Listen, Manthara, your words have proven true. My right eye twitches constantly, day after day. Every night I see evil dreams, yet I have not told you, lost as I am in my own delusion. What can I do, dear friend? My nature is guileless. I have never known the difference between favourable and unfavourable omens."