कुबरीं करि कबुली कैकेई । कपट-छुरी उर-पाहन टेई ॥
लखइ न रानि निकट दुख कैसे । चरइ हरित त्रिन बलि-पसु जैसें ॥
kubarīṃ kari kabulī kaikeī | kapaṭa-churī ura-pāhana ṭeī ||
lakhai na rāni nikaṭa dukha kaise | carai harita trina bali-pasu jaiseṃ ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 22: The two boons: Bharata's crown, Rama's exile
5 verses · 22 of 326
What happens in this chapter
The two boons: Bharata's crown, Rama's exile
Having won her consent, the hunchback whets the knife of deceit on the stone of Kaikeyi's heart. The queen does not see the sorrow at hand, like a sacrificial beast grazing green grass. Manthara's words are soft at first and hard at the end, honey laced with poison. Remember, she says, the tale you told me? You hold two boons in trust with the king. Ask for them today: the kingdom for your son, the forest for Rama. Then all your co-wife's joy is yours. Ask when he has sworn by Rama, so he cannot go back. If tonight passes, all is lost. So the sinful woman sends her to the kopa-bhavan, the chamber of anger, warning her to stay alert and not trust the king too quickly.
सुनत बात मृदु अन्त कठोरी । देत मनहुँ मधु माहुर घोरी ॥
कहइ चेरि सुधि अहइ कि नाहीँ । स्वामिनि कहिहु कथा मोहि पाहीँ ॥
sunata bāta mṛdu anta kaṭhorī | deta manahum̐ madhu māhura ghorī ||
kahai ceri sudhi ahai ki nāhīm̐ | svāmini kahihu kathā mohi pāhīm̐ ||
दुइ बरदान भूप सन थाती । माँगहु आजु जुड़ावहु छाती ॥
सुतहि राज रामहिँ बनबासू । देहु लेहु सब सवति हुलासु ॥
dui baradāna bhūpa sana thātī | mām̐gahu āju jur̤āvahu chātī ||
sutahi rāja rāmahim̐ banabāsū | dehu lehu saba savati hulāsu ||
भूपति राम-सपथ जब करई । तब मागेहु जेहिं बचन न टरई ॥
होइ अकाज आजु निसि बीतें । बचन मोर प्रिय मानेहु जी तेँ ॥
bhūpati rāma-sapatha jaba karaī | taba māgehu jehiṃ bacana na ṭaraī ||
hoi akāja āju nisi bīteṃ | bacana mora priya mānehu jī tem̐ ||
बड़ कुघात करि पातकिनि, कहेसि कोप-गृह जाहु ।
काज सँवारेहु सजग सब, सहसा जनि पतिआहु ॥
bar̤a kughāta kari pātakini, kahesi kopa-gṛha jāhu |
kāja sam̐vārehu sajaga saba, sahasā jani patiāhu ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0