Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 8: The Conversation Between Kaikeyī and Mantharā
Text 2.8.11
एवं चेत्त्वं सहास्माभिस्तस्याः प्रेष्या भविष्यसि।
पुत्रश्च तव रामस्य प्रेष्यभावं गमिष्यति॥
evaṁ cet tvaṁ sahāsmābhis tasyāḥ preṣyā bhaviṣyasi
putraś ca tava rāmasya preṣya-bhāvaṁ gamiṣyati
evam = thus; cet = if; tvam = you; saha = along; asmābhiḥ = with us; tasyāḥ = her; preṣyā = maidservant; bhaviṣyasi = become; putraḥ ca = son; tava = your; rāmasya = of Rāma; preṣya-bhāvam = a menial servant; gamiṣyati = will become.
1 This idea is another colorful product of Mantharā’s senile brain. As will be evident from the Rāmāyaṇa itself, Kausalyā did not mistreat her junior co-wives, even after Rāma sat on the throne of Ayodhyā after fourteen years.
1 But that is exactly what Bharata wanted! This will become clear as the Canto progresses.
Mantharā now states that Kaikeyī alone would not attain the state of being a menial attendant—her associates would also attain that state.