Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 7: Rāma Meets Sutīkṣṇa
Text 3.7.23
नराधिपकुले जाता महिषी त्वं महीपतेः।
उग्रत्वं राजधर्माणां कथं देवि न बुध्यसे॥
narādhipa-kule jātā mahiṣī tvaṁ mahī-pateḥ
ugratvaṁ rāja-dharmāṇāṁ kathaṁ devi na budhyase
nara-adhipa-kule = in a dynasty of kings; jātā = you are born; mahiṣī = are a queen; tvam = you; mahī-pateḥ = of the king; ugratvam = the cruelty; rāja-dharmāṇām = of those engaged in royal duties; katham = how is it that; devi = O goddess; na = not; budhyase = you do understand.
You are born in a dynasty of kings. You are a queen of the king. O goddess, how is it that you do not understand the cruelty of those engaged in royal duties?1
1 This is the beginning of Mantharā’s senseless accusations against King Daśaratha.
Mantharā now anticipates Kaikeyī’s question, “But how can my beloved husband do that which is undesirable to me?” and speaks the next verse.