Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 9: Kaikeyī Convinced by Mantharā
Text 2.9.20

रामाभिषेकसम्भारान्निगृह्य च निवर्तय।
तौ वरौ याच भर्तारं भरतस्याभिषेचनम्।
प्रव्राजनं तु रामस्य त्वं वर्षाणि चतुर्दश॥

rāmābhiṣeka-sambhārān nigṛhya ca nivartaya
tau varau yāca bhartāraṁ bharatasyābhiṣecanam
pravrājanaṁ tu rāmasya tvaṁ varṣāṇi caturdaśa

rāma-abhiṣeka-sambhārān = the preparations for Rāma’s coronation; nigṛhya = stop; ca = and; nivartaya = reverse the situation; tau = for these; varau = two boons; yāca = ask; bhartāram = your husband; bharatasya = Bharata’s; abhiṣecanam = coronation as the crown prince; pravrājanam tu = and exile; rāmasya = Rāma’s; tvam1 varṣāṇi = years; caturdaśa = for fourteen.

 

Stop the preparations for Rāma’s coronation and reverse the situation. Ask your husband for these two boons: (1) Bharata’s coronation as the crown prince, and (2) Rāma’s exile for fourteen years.

But why fourteen years of exile? Mantharā explains that in the next verse.

1 Technical note: tvam yāca.