In that fateful hour, an intricate and far-reaching development unfolded within the mortal frame of Mandhara, the trusted attendant of Queen Kaikeyi, who had journeyed to Ayodhya in the queen’s retinue following her marriage. As if moved by the unseen hand of destiny, Mandhara entered the grand edifice of King Dasaratha’s palace. With determined steps, she ascended to the open terrace, from where the city of Ayodhya lay resplendent before her eyes. She observed with meticulous attention the lively tumult, the splendor and opulence that adorned the capital. Ayodhya shone like a gem under a brilliant sun, bedecked in banners of vivid colors that proclaimed the promise of a royal celebration.
New pathways had been cleared for the multitudes, who moved about freshly bathed and garlanded in flowers, scholars chanting Vedic hymns, and temples resonating with sacred music and adorned beyond ordinary measure. Mighty elephants and noble horses, their riders armed and confident, gave assurance of peace and might. Decorated oxen and cows made sacred circumambulations around the temples, heralding a day of rare significance. A nursemaid, draped in fine silks, stood with wide, wonder-filled eyes, marveling at the sanctified scene.
Mandhara, her mind as restless as a storm, spoke with a voice sharp with jealousy: “See, how the tight-fisted Kausalya bestows her wealth upon the people! Does this not unveil her cunning enmity?” Her expression darkened, and complex designs began to take shape in her thoughts. She murmured bitterly, “Why such rejoicing? What grand deed is the king performing?” Each word she uttered festered in her mind.
The nursemaid, barely breaking from her awed reverie, replied in a voice almost dreamlike, “It is because Prince Rama shall soon be crowned. King Dasaratha will place the crown upon his head as Pushya, the auspicious star, descends.”
This revelation, instead of delight, ignited a sudden rage within Mandhara. Casting aside all thought of her own infirmities, she hastened down the stone steps, her mind wrapped in envy and wickedness, until she reached Kaikeyi’s chamber. Breathless, she cried out, “O thoughtless queen, awake! You are on the brink of ruin and know it not. Does the king not feign affection for you, his ‘dear wife’? But truly, he holds you not in his heart or his deeper affections. You, who call yourself his favored one, are but an illusion like a stream parched by the summer sun.”
Queen Kaikeyi, startled by Mandhara’s coarse speech, gazed at her in confusion. With measured words, she spoke, “What is this disturbance, Mandhara? Your face bears sorrow; is our fortune imperiled?”
Mandhara, skilled in the art of rhetoric, cast a spark into the fuel of Kaikeyi’s contentment. “O queen, the king’s crowning of Rama is at hand, and I am stricken with grief on your behalf. My loyalty to you has hastened me here to secure your future. From your youth, I have shared your joys and sorrows, yet never did I foresee such an ill turn of fate. You, a princess of noble lineage, wedded to the great house of Ikshvaku, are to see your son cast aside, while your husband cloaks his deeds with sweetness but conceals venom in his heart. Your pure nature blinds you to this treachery, while Kausalya receives his true favor. Bharata has been sent to distant lands with crafty intent, and Rama shall be crowned in his absence. The king, who should be your rock, now stands as an asp within your own nest.”
Mandhara’s eyes brimmed with fervor, her tone invoking the pity of a mother mourning her daughter’s plight. “See how King Dasaratha ignores the poison serpent of betrayal! He would have you and your son descend into servitude while Rama ascends the throne. Now is the time to act, O queen, lest your fate be sealed.”
Kaikeyi, who had listened with quiet shock, suddenly felt a thrill of recognition at Mandhara’s implications. Rising with a gleam of sudden resolve, she appeared like the full moon breaking through clouds. Moved by Mandhara’s cunning, she took a priceless ornament and gold from her treasure, bestowing it upon the servant who had lit her mind with this revelation. “You, Mandhara, have brought me news that stirs my very soul. This crowning is, in truth, a cause for joy. I have no reason to favor one son above another; hence, my heart overflows with happiness. You deserve more than praise; ask of me any reward, and it shall be yours. Never have you brought me tidings so significant.”
The contrast in their conversation was stark, for Kaikeyi, radiant with joy and a firm belief in her righteousness, saw all as auspicious. But Mandhara, driven by envy, found her subtle malice met with only light resistance. Though rebuffed, her mind churned with plans of greater cunning. Thus, the seeds of a treacherous path were sown, a path that would change the course of kings and kingdoms. The intricate play of intentions and the consequences of Kaikeyi’s awakening would soon unfold with dramatic finality.Top of Form
