नैहर जनम भरब बरु जाई । जियत न करवि सवति सेवकाई ॥
अरि बस दैव जिआवत जाही । मरन नीक तेहि जीवन चाही ॥
naihara janama bharaba baru jāī | jiyata na karavi savati sevakāī ||
ari basa daiva jiāvata jāhī | marana nīka tehi jīvana cāhī ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 21: Manthara offers a plan; Kaikeyi agrees
5 verses · 21 of 326
What happens in this chapter
Manthara offers a plan; Kaikeyi agrees
Kaikeyi laments that she would sooner live out her life in her father's house than serve a co-wife; one kept alive under an enemy's power is better dead. The hunchback works her wiles. Why speak as if your honour had shrunk? Your fortune will double daily, and whoever wished you harm will reap it. Since I heard this plot, mistress, I have neither eaten by day nor slept by night. The astrologers drew their lines and said Bharata will surely be king. If you will act, I will tell you how, for the king is bound by your service. Kaikeyi replies: at your word I would leap into a well, even give up son and husband. Seeing my grief, how could I refuse what is for my good?
दीन बचन कह बहु बिधि रानी । सुनि कुबरीं तिय-माया ठानी ॥
अस कस कहहु मानि सन ऊना । सुख सोहाग तुम्ह कहँ दिन दूना ॥
dīna bacana kaha bahu bidhi rānī | suni kubarīṃ tiya-māyā ṭhānī ||
asa kasa kahahu māni sana ūnā | sukha sohāga tumha kaham̐ dina dūnā ||
जेहिं राउर अति अनभल ताका । सोइ पाइहि यह फल परिपाका ॥
जब तेँ कुमत सुना मैं स्वामिनि । भूख न बासर नींद न जामिनि ॥
jehiṃ rāura ati anabhala tākā | soi pāihi yaha phala paripākā ||
jaba tem̐ kumata sunā maiṃ svāmini | bhūkha na bāsara nīṃda na jāmini ||
पूँछेउ गुनिन्ह रेख तिन्ह खाँची । भरत भुआल होहिं यह साँची ॥
भामिनि करहु त कहउँ उपाऊ । हैं तुम्हरीं सेवा बस राऊ ॥
pūm̐cheu guninha rekha tinha khām̐cī | bharata bhuāla hohiṃ yaha sām̐cī ||
bhāmini karahu ta kahaum̐ upāū | haiṃ tumharīṃ sevā basa rāū ||
परउँ कूप तब बचन पर, सकउँ पूत पति त्यागि ।
कहसि मोर दुख देखि बड़, कस न करब हित लागि ॥
paraum̐ kūpa taba bacana para, sakaum̐ pūta pati tyāgi |
kahasi mora dukha dekhi bar̤a, kasa na karaba hita lāgi ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0