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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.8.27

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: her final proposal is explicit: Kaikeyī must obtain the Kingdom for Bharata and have Rāma banished.

2.8.27

yadā hi rāmaḥ pṛthivīm avāpsyati dhruvaṃ pranaṣṭo bharato bhaviṣyati
ato hi saṃcintaya rājyam ātmaje parasya cādyaiva vivāsa kāraṇam

For when Rāma gains the earth, Bharata will surely be lost; therefore contrive the kingdom for your son, and this very day devise the means to banish the other.

Words: yadā hi — for when; rāmaḥ — Rāma; pṛthivīm — the earth (sovereignty); avāpsyati — will obtain; dhruvaṃ — surely; pranaṣṭo — lost, ruined; bharato — Bharata; bhaviṣyati — will be; ato hi — therefore; saṃcintaya — contrive, devise; rājyam — the kingdom; ātmaje — for your son; parasya — of the other (Rāma); cādyaiva — and this very day; vivāsa — banishment, exile; kāraṇam — the means, cause

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.