Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 78 of 119 · 26 verses
Shatrughna Seizes Manthara
As Bharata, burning with grief, plans the journey to Rama, Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, says to him: “Rama, who is the refuge of all beings in trouble, let alone ourselves, that mighty Rama has been banished to the forest by a woman. And mighty, valiant Lakshmana: why did he not free Rama, even by restraining his father? The king should have been restrained from the start, weighing right and wrong, once he had taken the wrong path and fallen under a woman’s power.”
While Shatrughna is speaking, the hunchback appears at the eastern door, decked in every ornament, smeared with sandal paste, wearing royal clothes, adorned with all sorts of jewellery. Bound round with bright girdle-strings, she looks like a she-monkey tied with ropes. Seeing her, the doorkeeper seizes the wicked hunchback roughly and hands her to Shatrughna: “Here is the cruel, wicked woman because of whom Rama is in the forest and your father has given up his body. Do with her as you think fit.” Shatrughna, deeply grieved, firm in his vows, says to all the palace attendants: “She caused bitter sorrow to my brothers and my father; let her taste the fruit of her cruel deed.” He seizes the hunchback roughly, surrounded by her friends, and she fills the house with her cries. Her friends, terrified, seeing Shatrughna’s anger, scatter in every direction and say to one another: “From the way he has started, he will make an end of us all. Let us go to Kausalya for refuge, compassionate, generous, knowing dharma, glorious; she will be our sure protection.” Shatrughna, scorcher of foes, his eyes red with rage, drags the screaming hunchback along the ground. As Manthara is dragged this way and that, her many bright ornaments scatter on the ground, and the glorious palace, strewn with them, shines like the autumn sky with its stars. Mighty Shatrughna, holding her fast, turns on Kaikeyi in anger and speaks harsh words to her. Hurt by those harsh words, terrified of Shatrughna, Kaikeyi runs to her son for protection. Seeing Shatrughna’s anger, Bharata says: “Women are not to be killed by any creature; let her be forgiven. I would kill this wicked Kaikeyi of evil conduct myself, if righteous Rama would not despise me as a mother-killer. If Raghava learned that even this hunchback had been killed, the righteous one would surely never speak to you or to me again.” Hearing Bharata, Shatrughna turns back from his rage and lets Manthara go. Manthara falls at Kaikeyi’s feet, sighing, in great pain, and laments pitifully. Seeing the hunchback stunned by Shatrughna’s violence and looking like a curlew caught in a snare, Bharata’s mother slowly comforts her.
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अत्र यात्रां समीहन्तं शत्रुघ्नो लक्ष्मणानुजः । भरतं शोक संतप्तमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
As Bharata, burning with grief, was planning the journey there, Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, said these words to him:
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गतिर्यः सर्वभूतानां दुःखे किं पुनरात्मनः । स रामः सत्त्वसम्पन्नः स्त्रिया प्रव्राजितो वनम् ॥ २ ॥
“He who is the refuge of all beings in sorrow, how much more of ourselves, that Rama, rich in strength, has been banished to the forest by a woman.
बलवान्वीर्यसम्पन्नो लक्ष्मणो नाम योऽप्यसौ । किं न मोचयते रामं कृत्वापि पितृनिग्रहम् ॥ ३ ॥
“And that mighty one, endowed with valour, named Lakshmana: why did he not free Rama, even by restraining his father?
पूर्वमेव तु निग्राह्यः समवेक्ष्य नयानयौ । उत्पथं यः समारूढो नार्या राजा वशं गतः ॥ ४ ॥
“The king should have been restrained from the very first, considering right and wrong policy, he who had taken to the wrong path and fallen into a woman’s power.”
इति सम्भाषमाणे तु शत्रुघ्ने लक्ष्मणानुजे । प्राग्द्वारेऽभूत् तदा कुब्जा सर्वाभरणभूषिता ॥ ५ ॥
While Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, was speaking so, the hunchback appeared at the eastern door, decked with every ornament,
लिप्ता चन्दनसारेण राजवस्त्राणि बिभ्रती । विविधं विविधैस्तैस्तैर्भूषणैश्च विभूषिता ॥ ६ ॥
smeared with the best sandal paste, wearing royal garments, adorned with many kinds of ornaments of this sort and that.
मेखलादामभिश्चित्रैरन्यैश्च शुभभूषणैः । बभासे बहुभिर्बद्धा रज्जुबद्धेव वानरी ॥ ७ ॥
With bright girdle-strings and other lovely ornaments, tied round with so many, she looked like a she-monkey bound with ropes.
तां समीक्ष्य तदा द्वाःस्थो भृशं पापस्य कारिणीम् । गृहीत्वाकरुणं कुब्जां शत्रुघ्नाय न्यवेदयत् ॥ ८ ॥
Seeing her, the doorkeeper then seized the hunchback, doer of great evil, mercilessly and handed her over to Shatrughna:
यस्याः कृते वने रामो न्यस्तदेहश्च वः पिता । सेयं पापा नृशंसा च तस्याः कुरु यथामति ॥ ९ ॥
“This is the wicked, cruel woman because of whom Rama is in the forest and your father has laid down his body. Do with her as you think fit.”
शत्रुघ्नश्च तदाज्ञाय वचनं भृशदुःखितः । अन्तः पुरचरान् सर्वानित्युवाच धृतव्रतः ॥ १० ॥
And Shatrughna, understanding those words, deeply grieved, firm in his vows, said this to all those who moved in the inner palace:
तीव्रमुत्पादितं दुःखं भ्रातृऋणां मे तथा पितुः । यया सेयं नृशंसस्य कर्मणः फलमश्नुताम् ॥ ११ ॥
“She caused intense sorrow to my brothers and my father; let her taste the fruit of her cruel deed.”
एवमुक्ता च तेनाशु सखीजनसमावृता । गृहीता बलवत् कुब्जा सा तद्गृहमनादयत् ॥ १२ ॥
Spoken of so, the hunchback, surrounded by her friends, was quickly seized by him with force, and she made that house resound.
ततः सुभृशसंतप्तस्तस्याः सर्वः सखीजनः । क्रुद्धमाज्ञाय शत्रुघ्नं व्यपलायत सर्वशः ॥ १३ ॥
Then all her friends, deeply alarmed, knowing Shatrughna to be angry, fled in every direction.
अमन्त्रयत कृत्स्नश्च तस्याः सर्वः सखीजनः । यथायं समुपक्रान्तो निःशेषं नः करिष्यति ॥ १४ ॥
And all her friends together consulted: “As he has set about this, he will make an end of us all.
सानुक्रोशां वदान्यां च धर्मज्ञां च यशस्विनीम् । कौसल्यां शरणं यामः सा हि नोऽस्तु ध्रुवा गतिः ॥ १५ ॥
“Let us go for refuge to Kausalya, compassionate, generous, knowing dharma, glorious; for she will be our sure refuge.”
स च रोषेण ताम्राक्षः शत्रुघ्नः शत्रुतापनः । विचकर्ष तदा कुब्जां क्रोशन्तीं पृथिवीतले ॥ १६ ॥
And Shatrughna, scorcher of foes, his eyes red with rage, dragged the screaming hunchback along the ground.
तस्या ह्याकृष्यमाणाया मन्थरायास्ततस्ततः । चित्रं बहुविधं भाण्डं पृथिव्यां तद्व्यशीर्यत ॥ १७ ॥
As Manthara was dragged this way and that, her bright ornaments of many kinds were scattered over the ground.
तेन भाण्डेन संकीर्णं श्रीमद्राजनिवेशनम् । अशोभत तदा भूयः शारदं गगनं यथा ॥ १८ ॥
Strewn with those ornaments, the glorious royal palace then shone still more, like the autumn sky.
स बली बलवत्क्रोधाद्गृहीत्वा पुरुषर्षभः । कैकेयीमभिनिर्भर्त्स्य बभाषे परुषं वचः ॥ १९ ॥
The mighty bull among men, holding her firmly in his anger, reproached Kaikeyi and spoke harsh words.
तैर्वाक्यैः परुषैर्दुःखैः कैकेयी भृशदुह्हिता । शत्रुघ्नभयसंत्रस्ता पुत्रं शरणमागता ॥ २० ॥
Deeply pained by those harsh, painful words, frightened of Shatrughna, Kaikeyi came to her son for refuge.
तां प्रेक्ष्य भरतः क्रुद्धं शत्रुघ्नमिदमब्रवीत् । अवध्याः सर्वभूतानां प्रमदाः क्षम्यतामिति ॥ २१ ॥
Seeing him, Bharata said this to the angry Shatrughna: “Women are not to be killed by any beings; let her be forgiven.
हन्यामहमिमां पापां कैकेयीं दुष्टचारिणीम् । यदि मां धार्मिको रामो नासूयेन्मातृघातकम् ॥ २२ ॥
“I would kill this wicked Kaikeyi of evil conduct, if righteous Rama would not despise me as a mother-killer.
इमामपि हतां कुब्जां यदि जानाति राघवः । त्वां च मां चैव धर्मात्मा नाभिभाषिष्यते ध्रुवम् ॥ २३ ॥
“If Raghava were to learn that even this hunchback had been killed, the righteous one would surely never speak to you or to me.”
भरतस्य वचः श्रुत्वा शत्रुघ्नो लक्ष्मणानुजः । न्यवर्तत ततो रोषात्तां मुमोच च मन्थराम् ॥ २४ ॥
Hearing Bharata’s words, Shatrughna, Lakshmana’s younger brother, then turned back from his anger and let Manthara go.
सा पादमूले कैकेय्या मन्थरा निपपात ह । निःश्वसन्ती सुदुःखार्ता कृपणं विललाप च ॥ २५ ॥
Manthara fell at Kaikeyi’s feet, and, sighing, deeply pained, she lamented piteously.
शत्रुघ्नविक्षेपविमूढसंज्ञां समीक्ष्य कुब्जां भरतस्य माता । शनैः समाश्वासयदार्तरूपां क्रौञ्चीं विलग्नामिव वीक्षमाणाम् ॥ २६ ॥
Seeing the hunchback, her senses stunned by Shatrughna’s flinging, looking like a curlew caught in a snare, Bharata’s mother gently comforted her in her distress.