Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 78: Śatrughna Punishes Mantharā
Text 2.78.21
तां प्रेक्ष्य भरतः क्रुद्धं शत्रुघ्नमिदमब्रवीत्।
अवध्याः सर्वभूतानां प्रमदाः क्षम्यतामिति॥
tāṁ prekṣya bharataḥ kruddhaṁ śatrughnam idam abravīt
avadhyāḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ pramadāḥ kṣamyatām iti
tām = her; prekṣya = seeing; bharataḥ = Bharata; kruddham = to angry; śatrughnam = Śatrughna; idam = the following; abravīt = spoke; avadhyāḥ = should not be killed; sarva-bhūtānām = of all creatures; pramadāḥ = the females; kṣamyatām iti = they should be forgiven.
Seeing her, Bharata spoke the following to angry Śatrughna: “The females of all creatures should not be killed. They should be forgiven.