Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 9: Kaikeyī Convinced by Mantharā
Text 2.9.38
कुब्जे त्वां नाभिजानामि श्रेष्ठां श्रेष्ठाभिधायिनीम्।
पृथिव्यामसि कुब्जानामुत्तमा बुद्धिनिश्चये॥
kubje tvāṁ nābhijānāmi śreṣṭhāṁ śreṣṭhābhidhāyinīm
pṛthivyām asi kubjānām uttamā buddhi-niścaye
kubje = O hunchback; tvām = that you; na = not; abhijānāmi = till now I did know; śreṣṭhām = are the best; śreṣṭha-abhidhāyinīm = of those who speak about the best; pṛthivyām = on earth; asi = you are; kubjānām = of the hunchbacks; uttamā = the best; buddhi-niścaye = in intelligent decision-making.
O hunchback, till now I did not know that you are the best of those who speak about the best. You are the best of the hunchbacks on earth in intelligent decision-making.
It is thus hinted that [such] hunchbacks are generally sharp in their intelligence.