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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.8.7
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: Kaikeyī defends Rāma: he is virtuous, the eldest, and entitled to succeed; he will protect his brothers → she expects Bharata to inherit in time and says Rāma serves her even more attentively than he serves Kausalyā
2.8.7
dharmajño gurubhir dāntaḥ kṛtajñaḥ satyavāk śuciḥ
rāmo rājñaḥ suto jyeṣṭho yauvarājyam ato 'rhati
“Rāma knows dharma, is disciplined by his elders, grateful, truthful of speech, and pure; being the king's eldest son, he therefore deserves the heir-apparency.
Words: dharmajño — knower of dharma; gurubhir — by his elders/teachers; dāntaḥ — disciplined, restrained; kṛtajñaḥ — grateful; satyavāk — truthful of speech; śuciḥ — pure; rāmo — Rāma; rājñaḥ — of the king; suto — son; jyeṣṭho — eldest; yauvarājyam — the heir-apparency; ato 'rhati — therefore deserves
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.