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72
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
Having said thus much, Kaikeyi stopp-
ed? In a distressed voice the king spoke
to Kaikeyi as follows:
 
न कथञ्चिदृते रामाद्भरतो राज्यमावसेत् ।
रामादपि हि तं मन्ये धर्मतो बलवत्तरम् ॥
 
" Without Rama, Bharata will certainly
not abide in the kingdom. I consider him
to be firmer even than Rama in righteous-
ness.
 
यदा यदा हि कौसल्या दासीवच्च सखीव च ।
भार्यावद्भगिनीवच्च मातृवचोपतिष्ठति ।
सततं प्रियकामा मे प्रियपुत्रा प्रियंवदा ।
 
न मया सत्कृता देवी सत्कारार्हा कृते तव ॥
 
Whenever Kausalya has attended on me
like a maid, like a friend, like a wife, like
a sister and like a mother, she who ever
desired my good, who bore my favourite
son, and who spoke so as to please, -
though she deserved considerate treatment,
got none at my hands on your account.
 
मया ह्यपितृकः पुत्रः स महात्मा दुरात्मना ।
तं तु मां जीवलोकोऽयं नूनमाक्रोष्टुमर्हति ॥
 
Besides, that high-souled son Rama is
deprived of his patrimony by me of mean