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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 मातृवच्चोपतिष्ठति ।

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