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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 ‘You do not seem to understand the implications, Kaikeyi. If Rama becomes the Prince Regent, the power goes into his hand and naturally his mother gets an upper hand over everything. When power goes into their hands, it means authority and wealth also go into their hands. Think of a situation. When mendicants come to you seeking for alms, what would you do?’
‘thooNdum innalum varumayum thodar thara,’ Those that are pursued by poverty and afflicted by misery,
‘thuyaraal eeNdu vandhu unai irandhavarkku,’ when they come to you begging for alms,
‘iru nidhi avaLai vENdi IdhiyO?’ would you go to her, seeking her permission to spend on them?
‘veLgudhiyO?’ Would you not be ashamed (to go and stand before her, for her approval)?
‘vimmal nOyaal maaNdu pOdhiyO?’ Would you rather prefer not to go there, weep it out and seek your death rather than begging her for giving alms?
‘maRuthiyO?’ Or would you say ‘no’ to those who come begging to you?
That’s a dreadful situation indeed, particularly for someone like Kaikeyi, who was a combination of too many crudities put together. To recall the words of Sastriyar, “She was by temperament disposed to domineer over people; she loved power and whoever came under her shadow regretted it… She was cruel; she was jealous; she told lies.” She can’t think of such a situation indeed. It is only natural that what one perceives of the other is his or her own inner vision of one’s own self.
When we look at others and try to assess them, are we not holding them under our own light? However dispassionate we try to be, do we not hold others from our own standpoint, of what we would do in such a situation - good or bad? Kaikeyi started looking at things differently now. The ghosts of her past woke up from the grave and she could not envision herself at the doorsteps of Kausalya, asking for her favours.
Beat the iron when it is red, it is said. Beating the iron and shaping it up is not a difficult task at all. Heating it up is. Manthara knew this so very well and persisted in lighting the fire of hatred in the heart of Kaikeyi. Now that the fire started flickering, she knew it was time for her to use the bellows to intensify it.
‘You have not quite thought of another danger, my dear madam. Think of your poor father. He has too many enemies. Janaka is one among them.’
 ‘kaadhal un perum kaNavanai anji,’ Because he is afraid of your loving and chivalrous husband,
‘ak kani vaay seethai thandhai un thaadhayai therugilan’
the father of Sita has not marched on your father. Janaka would not march in war against your father because he knows that when he did so, your husband would go to the aid of your father. Now, the situation would no more be the same!
‘iraaman maadhulan avan.’ He is the father-in-law of Rama.
‘nundhaikku vaazhvu ini uNdO?’ How safe is your father hereafter? Tomorrow if Janaka declares a war against your father, would Rama go to the aid of his father-in-law, or your father, who is a mere stepmother’s father?
The roots are shaken indeed.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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