Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Kaikeyī Reaffirms her Demands
Text 2.12.40
यदा समेता बहवस्त्वया राजर्षयः सह।
कथयिष्यन्ति धर्मज्ञास्तत्र किं प्रतिवक्ष्यसि॥
yadā sametā bahavas tvayā rāja-rṣayaḥ saha
kathayiṣyanti dharmajñās tatra kiṁ prativakṣyasi
yadā = when; sametāḥ = assemble; bahavaḥ = many; tvayā = with you; rāja-ṛṣayaḥ = saintly kings; saha kathayiṣyanti = and talk; dharmajñāḥ = who know dharma; tatra = to them; kim = what; prativakṣyasi = will you reply.
When many saintly kings who know dharma assemble and talk with you, what will you reply to them?
Kaikeyī intended to ask, “When saintly kings discuss about dharma with you and ask you, ‘How did you reciprocate with Kaikeyī’s help?’ what kind of answer will you give them?”