Bengali Ramayana - Manthara and Kaikeyi

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Kaikeyi was relaxing. Manthara rebuked her and

asked her why she was lying down. “Bharata should have

king today. I am sure you have lost all your shame

otherwise you should have beem crying. Rama is being

crowned king today. Keep your promises, make the king

crown Bharata as the king and tell him to banish Rama.

When Bharata becomes the king, you will have power.”

Kaikeyi said “Why should I tell the king to send Rama to

the forest. He has not done me any harm. Rama

respects me and I should not be talking ill of him. Rama

has many qualities and apart from that, it is said

that the eldest son is always crowned the king.

Crowning Rama will please everyone. If so, Rama himself

will hand the throne over to Bharata. I know Kaushalya

and I know that she will respect me a lot when Rama

is crowned king. You have brought me great news.

What should I reward you with. “ So saying Kaikeyi

took an ornament from her body and gave it to Manthara

and said “Do not worry, when Rama becomes king, I

will give you much more.” <br>Angry, Manthara’s lips

started quivering. She flung the ornament on the ground

and with blazing eyes looked at Kaikeyi. “Kaikeyi you

do not know what misfortune you are bringing upon

yourself. I am trying to talk sense into you, but you are

telling me just the opposite. Kaushalya is clever. She is

getting her son crowned king and she will become the

queen mother. You will remain a maid in Kaushalya’s

eyes. Sita will look down upon you. Bharata has gone to

visit his maternal uncle and seeing this is an excuse,

Kaushalya is crowning Rama king. You are happy because

another wife of your husband is happy. I have never seen

anyone like this. I have brought up Bharata since he was

a baby. Today both you and your son and puppets in

Kaushalya’s hands. Rama Lakshmana seem to be one. Crowning

Rama as king means crowning Lakshmana too. Bharata

will be then left alone. I am trying to talk sense

into you. Do not misunderstand me. Think of something

and send Rama away into the forests.”<br>Hearing

Manthara’s words, Kaikeyi’s mind changed. Suddenly she was

afraid. She said “Oh Manthara, you have opened my eyes. I

had never realized that Rama was doing me harm. Today

Bharata is absent and Rama will be crowned king. Oh

Manthara, help me find a way. The king’s life itself is

Rama. How will I send Rama off to the forest. Let me

keep Rama here and not send him to the forest. Let the

kingdom be divided into four parts and let Rama go with

his part. But if Bharata is to be crowned king, how

do I get rid of Rama?”<br>Manthara said “You need a

way, I will show you the way. I will show you a way

that you would not have thought possible. Think of the

olden days when Dasharatha killed the asura Sambhar.

You atteneded and looked after the wounded king who

then wanted to give you a boon. Then once the king had

a sore and you tended to the king and he then again

wanted to give you a boon. Soon Rama will be crowned

king. Remind the king of the two boons. Change your

dress and put on tattered clothes. Throw away your

jewelry and then lie down on the floor. When the king

comes to you and asks you what has happened, do not say

anything. Just cry and wail. When the king says he will

give you anything if you smile, ask him if he means

what he says. With one boon ask for Bharata’s crowning

and the other, use it to send Rama to the forest for

fourteen years.” Kaikeyi agreed to do what Manthara

suggested.<br>When Kaikeyi was a young girl she used to make fun of

the Brahmins. The Brahmins had cursed her and said “

You make fun of us today, a time will come when

people will make fun of you”. It was time for that curse

to be fulfilled.<br>Kaikeyi turned to Manthara and

said, “ I am yet to see a more clever woman. You are my

only well wisher.”