Manthara's Evil Plot

In the palace lived an old, hunchbacked maid of Kaikeyi named Manthara, who was as devious as she was ugly. When she heard that Rama was going to be crowned the next day, she went straight to Kaikeyi's chamber.

"Wake up, foolish woman!" cried Manthara. "Immense misfortune is heading your way. King Dasharatha has decided to crown Rama heir apparent in your son Bharata's absence."

Kaikeyi was overjoyed to hear that Rama was going to be crowned. Though Rama was not born of her womb, she loved him the most. She took off her pearl necklace and presented it to Manthara for bringing her such good news. But Manthara callously flung the necklace to the ground.

"Fool!" Manthara yelled at Kaikeyi. "From tomorrow, your son, Bharata, will live the life of a subject and a slave, and you will become Kaushalya's maidservant."

These words poisoned the gullible Kaikeyi's mind. She believed that Manthara was speaking the truth and began worrying about Bharata's future if Rama were crowned heir apparent.

"What can I do about this, Manthara?" she asked desperately.

"The King promised to grant you two boons several years ago," Manthara reminded Kaikeyi. "The time has come to ask for them. For your first boon, ask that Bharata be made heir to the throne. For your second boon, ask that Rama be exiled to the forest for fourteen years. Now go to the sulking chamber and stay there until the King agrees to fulfill your demands."

In ancient times, kings often had multiple wives, making it a challenge to keep them all content. Because the king was preoccupied with matters of state, he did not always know which queen was unhappy or why. To address this, a separate room called the sulking chamber was established in the palace. If a queen felt unhappy or wished to speak to the king, she would go there. Upon learning that a queen was in the sulking chamber, the king would promptly visit her to listen to her concerns.