Kaikeyi Looses the Hawk of Her Words
Ayodhya Kanda, Doha 28
Doha 28 · Movement 2 of 2
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Dasharatha's wish has grown like a beautiful forest, and his happiness moves through it like a flock of lovely birds. Coronation dawn seems ready to fill every branch with song.
Kaikeyi now appears as a huntress preparing to loose a terrible hawk of words upon that living joy.
The doha suspends the strike for one final instant. Forest, birds, hunter, and hawk occupy a single field of vision, translating speech into predation before the demands are voiced. A whole inner world can be destroyed without sword or army when words are aimed at the heart's most vulnerable life.
Over Dasharatha's forest of happiness, the shadow of Kaikeyi's first terrible word spreads its wings.
Read the passage from the Manas
भूप मनोरथ सुभग बनु सुख सुबिहंग समाजु। भिल्लनि जिमि छाड़न चहति बचनु भयंकरु बाजु।।28।।
The king's wish was a beautiful forest, and his happiness a flock of lovely birds. Like a huntress of the Bhil tribe, Kaikeyi now moved to loose her terrifying hawk of words upon them.