A woman, brought up with Kaikeyi, who formerly served as a maid-servant,
the family of her maternal uncle, at her own will, ascended the palace
resembling the moon. Manthara beheld from the palace the high-ways of
Ayodhya well watered all round, and strewn with lotuses, and adorned
with standards bearing gay pennons; with thoroughfares and roads leading
along undulating lands; sprinkled with sandal water, and crowded with
men who had performed their ablutions; and echoing with the accents of
regenerate ones bearing garlands and sweetmeats in their hands; and
having the doorways of the temples painted white; and resounding with
the sounds of musical instruments; and filled with many folks; and
singing with Veda chantings; and with its horses and elephants
delighted, and cows and bulls emitting roars; and with standards
displaying flags erected by the exhilarated citizens. Upon seeing
Ayodhya (in such excitement) Manthara was seized with exceeding
surprise, Manthara, seeing a nurse hard by clad in white silk, with her
eyes expanded with delight, asked her, saying,--"What for Rama's mother
although close-fisted, is cheerfully and with the greatest possible
alacrity dispensing wealth unto the people? And what for is the general
overflow of joy? And what doth the delighted monarch purpose to do?"
Thereupon bursting with very great delight, the nurse communicated unto
the hump-backed woman the high fortune awaiting Rama,
saying,--"To-morrow under Pushya, king Dacaratha will install the
sinless Raghava having his anger under control, as heir-apparent to the
throne." Hearing the words of the nurse, the hump-backed one, speedily
growing angry, descended from the edifice resembling a summit of the
Kailaca hill. Burning in ire, the sin-seeking Manthara addressed
Kaikeyi, lying down, saying,--"Up, ye senseless one! What for art thou
down? A great danger approacheth thee. Thou understandeth not that a
mighty grief overfloweth thee. Thou boastest of good fortune while
misfortune is thine in the shape of luck. Thy good fortune is surely
unstable like the tide of a river during summer. Thus addressed by the
sin-seeking hump-backed (hag) in exceedingly harsh language, Kaikeyi
became afflicted with great grief. And Kaikeyi said unto the hump-backed
one,--"Is any evil present, O Manthara? I do not find thee with
countenance fallen and sore distressed with grief." The hump-backed
Manthara, skilled in speech, who really sought Kaikeyi's welfare,
hearing the latter' s sweet-accented words, displaying sorrow greater
than Kaikeyi's own, lamenting, and enlisting Kaikeyi's feelings against
Rama, uttered words inflamed with anger, saying,--"O worshipful one, an
enduring and terrible destruction is imminent unto thee. King Dacaratha
will install Rama as heir-apparent. I have been sunk in a fathomless
fear; and am afflicted with grief and heaviness. And as if burning in
fire I, seeking, thy welfare, have come unto thee. For, O Kaikeyi, great
waxeth my grief on witnessing thy sorrow; and my advancement progresseth
along with thine. There is no doubt about this. Born in a race of king
thou art the queen of this lord of earth. Why dost not thou then realise
the sternness of royal morality. Thy maintainer speaketh most morally;
but is crafty for all that: he speaketh blandly, but hath a crooked
heart. Him thou takest as of blessed condition; and therefore art
gulled. Speaking unto thee soft words bare of substance, he will, his
heart on the alert, to-day compass the welfare of Kaucalya. Having sent
Bharata unto the home of thy relatives, that wicked- minded one will
establish Rama in his ancestral kingdom rid of its thorn. Thou,0 girl,
in consideration of thy welfare, hast like unto a mother taken unto thy
lap a venomous snake in the form of thy husband. Even what is done by an
enemy or a serpent left alone, is being done by Dacaratha of wicked ways
and false soothing speech, unto thee and thy own son. And, O girl,
deserving as thou art of happiness, the king having established Rama in
the kingdom; thou wilt be annihilated along with thy own. The time hath
come, O Kaikayi,--do thou on the spur enter upon that which would turn
to thy advantage. And, O thou, influenced by surprise, do thou deliver
thyself, me and Bharata also."
Hearing Manthara's words, that one of graceful countenance filled with
delight, and looking like the autumnal moon-light, rose up from her bed.
Inspired with exceeding joy, Kaikeyi, struck with surprise, made unto
the hump-backed woman a present of an excellent and elegant ornament.
And having given her the ornament, that paragon among the fair Kaikeyi
joyfully, addressed Manthara, saying,--"O Manthara! highly welcome is
the news that thou hast communicated unto me. And surely thou hast told
me what is dear unto my heart, what shall I do for thee? Difference find
I none between Rama and Bharata. Therefore delighted am I that the king
purposeth installing Rama in the kingdom. There is no other ambrosial
speech that is excellent and acceptable unto me, compared with the
installation of Rama. Therefore do thou ask of me whatever reward dost
thou want and I shall give thee."