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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.8.21

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 8: Mantharā turns Kaikeyī’s mind. Kaikeyī defends Rāma, Mantharā argues that his descendants will exclude Bharata’s line and urges Rāma’s exile

In the sequence: she contrasts Rāma's close bond with Lakṣmaṇa against Bharata's vulnerability; in the wording of this translation, she now says Kaikeyī's son should leave for the forest

2.8.21

tasmān na lakṣmaṇe rāmaḥ pāpaṃ kiṃ cit kariṣyati
rāmas tu bharate pāpaṃ kuryād iti na saṃśayaḥ

Therefore Rāma will do no harm whatever to Lakṣmaṇa; but that Rāma would do harm to Bharata — of this there is no doubt.

Words: tasmān — therefore; na — not; lakṣmaṇe — to Lakṣmaṇa; rāmaḥ — Rāma; pāpaṃ — harm, evil; kiṃ cit — any at all; kariṣyati — will do; rāmas tu — but Rāma; bharate — to Bharata; pāpaṃ — harm; kuryād — would do; iti na saṃśayaḥ — of this there is no doubt

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.