Passage 5

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In plain words

When they looked closely to see where the noise came from, there was Paraśurāma coming on in a terrible form. “After a wedding celebrated with such splendour, what is this obstacle on the way?” They were alarmed. Good and bad, the two of them, keep each other company. As much joy as they had enjoyed in Mithilā, so much trouble they had to face halfway on the road to Ayodhyā. Daśaratha and the rest were badly frightened. Paraśurāma came near and asked, “Who broke Śiva's bow?” “I did,” said Śrī Rāma. “In that case, break my bow; let us see,” he said, and handed his bow to him. Rāma broke that too with his left hand. Then Paraśurāma bowed to Rāma and went away from there. In the joy of that victory everyone reached Ayodhyā.

There are people like Mantharā wherever you look

To spread these two, Rāma's strength and Sītā's Bhakti, through the world, the people of Ayodhyā joyfully held many festivals. Seeing all this, Mantharā grew jealous. In this world there are people like Mantharā wherever you look. Angry that Daśaratha was giving Rāma the kingdom he had promised to Kaikeyī's son, she made up many false stories against Rāma and drummed them well into Kaikeyī. Through her evil counsel a great change came over Kaikeyī. Mantharā asked Kaikeyī for a favour. “Mother! I am your maid. But from the time you were born, I myself brought you up and cared for you. You are a child who grew up in my arms. Grant me this one small wish. King Daśaratha has resolved to crown Rāma. But by the word he once gave you, Bharata must be crowned; Rāma must be sent to the forest for fourteen years,” she asked. Kaikeyī, who was the chief queen, gave in to the words of a servant and became the cause of Rāma's exile to the forest. Later she recognised, ‘This was a plot of Mantharā's’, and repented. Actually Kaikeyī loved Rāma dearly.