Ayodhya Kaanda
64 - Dialogue between king Dasaratha and Kaikeyi; Dasaratha's lamentation; Sumantra goes to the palace and, returning from it, sends Sri Rama to His father
Chaupais
Description
In this way the king moaned within himself. Seeing his bad plight the wicked queen sulked within her heart and said, "Is Bharata not your son? And have you bought me in consideration of money? If my words pierced you like arrows the moment they entered your ears, why should you not make promises after careful thought? Either say yes to my proposal or decline. You are true to your promise (more than anyone else) in the race of Raghu. Refuse the boons you promised me; abandon truth and court infamy in the world. Loud in your praise of truth you promised me a couple of boons, imagining of course that I would ask for a handful of parched grain. Sibi,* Dadhici† and Bali‡ redeemed their plighted word maintaining whatever they said even at the cost of their life and possessions." In this way Kaikeyi uttered most pungent words as though applying salt to a burn.