June 1 - Sargas 7 and 8 of Ayodhya Kanda.
Enter Manthara with her process of poisoning the mind of Kaikeyi.
I remember how on one Sri Ramanavami we went and heard the address of Sri Satya Sai Baba in Brindavan. He spoke as usual with an eloquence and grace hard to forget.
Baba began by asking why we were celebrating the birth of Rama. What makes a person so dear? You find almost everyone name their son Rama. Has anyone named their daughter Kaikeyi or Manthara? Why not? Because unlike Rama who did good to even his detractors, these two women did the greatest injustice to Sri Rama although he had done no harm them.
Anyway according to Puranas, Manthara and Kaikeyi came to earth with a specific mission - to send Sri Rama to the forest. That was the only way he would come into direct contact with the evil called Ravana and discharge the mission of his own incarnation.
***
प्रहृष्टमुदितैः पौरैरुच्छ्रितध्वजमालिनीम् ।
अयोध्यां मन्थरा दृष्ट्वा परं विस्मयमागता ॥
श्वः पुष्येण जितक्रोधं यौवराज्येन राघवम् ।
राजा दशरथो राममभिषेचयितानघम् ॥
सा दह्यमाना कोपेन मन्थरा पापदर्शिनी ।
शयानामेत्य कैकेयीमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥
Manthara ascended to the grand terrace that night and beheld unprecedented celebrations and decorations all over Ayodhya. She saw how extremely happy citizens had decorated every place with strings of flags and festoons. Unable to satisfy her curiosity, she accosted a handmaiden of Kausalya who was dressed for the occasion and was distributing gifts to all. She asked what was the occasion, what great good fortune had come to Ayodhya? The handmaiden replied that on the auspicious morrow king Dasharatha was going to make Sri Rama, one full of virtues and who had conquered anger ( the ultimate test for any human), the Yuvaraja - heir apparent.
Manthara was the maid who had come to Ayodhya along with Kaikeyi. She knew her mistress from her birth and enjoyed her unquestioning confidence. Her reaction to this news was one of uncontrolled rage. Burning with evil thoughts, she rushed to the sleeping chamber of Kaikeyi and spoke thus:
अक्ष्य्यं सुमहद्देवि प्रवृत्तं त्वद्विनाशनम् ।
रामं दशरथो राजा यौवराज्येऽभिषेक्ष्यति ॥
"Kaikeyi, oh most unfortunate one, an unmitigable calamity is going to befall you. Dasharatha is going to make Rama Yuvaraja!!!"
***
Kaikeyi reacts at once with extreme joy. Even as Manthara is trying to explain what is the calamity, Kaikeyi gives her a precious necklace and says that she would give her even more gifts for this excellent news, for Rama and Bharata are equally dear to her. Meanwhile Manthara is describing to her how the old king is full of cunning and deceit and is doing this to blight Kaikeyi and her son forever.
Why can't Kaikeyi see the truth? She is like someone who ignores a snake in the grass or the enemy coming to attack! Manthara throws away the necklace and changes gear.
अनर्थदर्शिनी मौर्ख्यान्नात्मानमवबुध्यसे ।
शोकव्यसनविस्तीर्णे मजजन्ती दुःखसागरे ॥
"Kaikeyi, Oh you fool, even as I see you drowning in the ocean of sorrow, you are unable to see your own situation and what is and is not your welfare।"
दर्पान्निराकृता पूर्वं त्वया सौभाग्यवत्तया ।
राममाता सपत्नी ते कथं वैरं न यातयेत् ॥
यदा हि रामः पृथिवीमवाप्स्यति
ध्रुवं प्रणष्टो भरतो भविष्यति ।
अतो हि संचिन्तय राज्यमात्मजे
परस्य चैवाद्य विवासकारणम् ॥
"Oh Kaikeyi, in the past, confident of your youthful beauty and privilege with the king, you have ill-treated Kausalya, Rama's mother. Do you not understand the situation of what will now happen? How she will take revenge and destroy you once her son becomes the king?
"Be certain that once Rama becomes the king, unchallenged in the world, your son Bharata will be ruined forever. (He will have to wander in the forest and suvive the most inhospitable life there). Therefore, come to your senses and find a way to ensure today itself how Bharata should earn the kingship, and how Rama should be banished by the king from the kingdom."
***
॥ श्रीरामयजम् ॥
