Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.27
एतत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा कैकेय्या समुदाहृतम्।
उवाच व्यथितो रामस्तां देवीं नृपसन्निधौ॥
etat tu vacanaṁ śrutvā kaikeyyā samudāhṛtam
uvāca vyathito rāmas tāṁ devīṁ nṛpa-sannidhau
etat tu = these; vacanam = words; śrutvā = upon hearing; kaikeyyā = by Kaikeyī; samudāhṛtam = uttered; uvāca = and spoke [the following words]; vyathitaḥ = became distressed; rāmaḥ = Rāma; tām = to the; devīm = queen; nṛpa-sannidhau = in the presence of the king.
Upon hearing these words uttered by Kaikeyī, Rāma became distressed and spoke [the following words] to the queen in the presence of the king.
Śrī Rāma was distressed, thinking, “[She] has doubt about Me, whether I will carry out the instructions of my superior authority or not.” He describes that distress in the next verse.
GLOSS. Kaikeyī is referred to as the queen because she was desirous of conquering Daśaratha and his son Rāmacandra in order to have Bharata get the [royal] prosperity.