Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 35: Furious Sumantra Criticizes Kaikeyī
Text 2.35.28
सत्यश्चाद्य प्रवादोऽयं लौकिकः प्रतिभाति मा।
पितृन्समनुजायन्ते नरा मातरमङ्गनाः॥
satyaś cādya pravādo ’yaṁ laukikaḥ pratibhāti mā
pitṝn samanujāyante narā mātaram aṅganāḥ
satyaḥ ca = to be true; adya = today; pravādaḥ = proverb; ayam = the; laukikaḥ = worldly; pratibhāti = appears; mā = to me; pitṝn = with their fathers’ characteristics; samanujāyante = are born; narāḥ = men; mātaram = [with their] mothers’ [characteristics]; aṅganāḥ = and women.
Today the worldly proverb appears to me to be true: men are born with their fathers’ characteristics and women [with their] mothers’ [characteristics].