तथाऽतिविद्धा महिषी तु कुब्जया समाहता वागिषुभिर्मुहुर्मुहुः।
निधाय हस्तौ हृदयेऽतिविस्मिता शशंस कुब्जा कुपिता पुनःपुनः॥
tathātividdhā mahiṣī tu kubjayā
samāhatā vāg-iṣubhir muhur muhur
nidhāya hastau hṛdaye ’tivismitā
śaśaṁsa kubjāṁ kupitā punaḥ punaḥ
tathā = thus; atividdhā = pierced; mahiṣī tu = the queen; kubjayā = by the hunchback; samāhatā = and injured; vāk-iṣubhiḥ = by the arrows of her words; muhuḥ muhuḥ = repeatedly; nidhāya = placed; hastau = her hands; hṛdaye = on her chest;
ativismitā = with great astonishment; śaśaṁsa = told; kubjām = the hunchback [the following]; kupitā = the angry Kaikeyī; punaḥ punaḥ = again and again.
Thus repeatedly pierced and injured by the hunchback with the arrows of her words, the queen placed her hands on her chest with great astonishment. The angry Kaikeyī again and again told the hunchback [the following].
1 Technical note: yathā te sutaḥ bharataḥ abhiṣekṣyate tathā tat yatasva.
Kaikeyī was pierced by the arrows of the words of the hunchback, that is, she was very distressed by them.
Kaikeyī’s placed her own hands on her own chest—this is gesture of astonishment. She was greatly astonished in thought, “How can one who is extremely affectionate do that which is so undesirable [for me]?” Kaikeyī was angry at her husband for arranging Rāma’s coronation.