Story Of Manthara And Kaikeyi In Ramayana: A Lesson On How Bad Friends Can Affect Your Life

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Man is best understood by the company he keeps. "Satsang (in company with the virtuous) helps us even out our rough edges and helps us to feel comfortable with the dictates of conscience.

It is important to view and accept the world's reality in a positive manner and differentiate right from wrong. We are most influenced by our friends when it comes to our life perspectives and hence we must choose them with care.

The Story Of Manthara, The Evil Maid

An incident in Ramayana reflects on this concept in the most poignant way. Dasharatha's (the king of Ayodhya) decision to coronate Rama as the king was not well received by his third wife Kaikeyi who had been brainwashed by her wicked servant maid, to get Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi to succeed Dasharatha.

Kaikeyi was a golden-hearted woman by nature who wished ardently for Rama's wellbeing and especially for him to be the king as she knew he was the ablest scion who could rule Ayodhya with elan. She had feelings of maternal love towards Rama and wished him well from the bottom of her heart. She was overjoyed when she heard of Rama's coronation and presented her maid with a diamond necklace when the maid carried this news to her.

But Manthara, the evil woman that she was, had nefarious ideas to dethrone Rama and relegate him to the life of a mendicant who had nothing to look forward to except struggles throughout. Manthara started slowly poisoning the ears of the queen through her evil counsel and convinced Kaikeyi that Rama would be a changed person soon after he acquires the throne and he is likely to ill-treat Bharata. Her son Bharatha as a result, would not succeed as king to the throne in his lifetime. Kausalya may humiliate Kaikeyi regarding this. These arguments, over a course of time, changed Kaikeyi slowly into the venomous person that she was picturised to be in the Ramayana.

Kaikeyi And Her Two Boons

Kaikeyi had taken on the war front and bravely defended and saved King Dasharathas life in one of those fierce wars. Pleased with her loyal gesture, Dasharatha offered her two boons which he said he will fulfil any time she hints about it. Now, all set to misuse those two boons, the undeserving Kaikeyi asked Dasharatha for those two impossible boons that finally sent Rama to exile and Dasharatha to heaven.

Kaikeyi's Plight After Rama's Exile

Her son Bharata, who did not agree with this idea, decided to return the kingdom back to Lord Rama who in turn preserved the promise he had made to his father. So Kaikeyi not only lost her son's love and trust, she lost her husband, the kingdom for which she was never allowed to be the queen, the wrath of the subjects of her kingdom, and a sullied reputation with which she lived all her life, remorsefully. Her Bad karmic actions boomeranged on her and destroyed her peace and her life altogether. This is the power of evil friendship. So we need to be careful and make sensible decisions before we decide to keep the friend whose antecedents we don't even know.

These are the consequences of getting close to an evil person.

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