Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 35: Furious Sumantra Criticizes Kaikeyī
Text 2.35.16
आम्रं छित्त्वा कुठारेण निबं परिचरेत्तु यः।
यश्चैनं पयसा सिञ्चेन्नैवास्य मधुरो भवेत्॥
āmraṁ chittvā kuṭhāreṇa nimbaṁ paricaret tu yaḥ
yaś cainaṁ payasā siñcen naivāsya madhuro bhavet
āmram = a mango tree; chittvā = cuts; kuṭhāreṇa = with an axe; nimbam = a neem tree instead; paricaret tu = grows; yaḥ = who; yaḥ = who; ca = and; enam = on the roots of that neem tree; payasā = milk; siñcet = then pours; na eva = not; asya = for the man; madhuraḥ = sweet; bhavet = [a neem tree] will become.
[A neem tree] will not become sweet for the man who cuts a mango tree with an axe, grows a neem tree instead and who then pours milk on the roots of that neem tree.
Now Sumantra indirectly criticizes Kaikeyī and Daśaratha.
One who knowingly cuts off a mango tree that gives a sweet fruit and grows and takes care of a neem tree in its place with a water basin around it and so on and who pours milk [on its roots] will not change the neem tree into one which gives a sweet fruit.
Sumantra thus states that banishing the very good Rāma on the pretext of [granting] a benediction to follow the mind of Kaikeyī is not proper. By this he further states that Kaikeyī is always bitter.