Rama is not covetous of sovereignty; he is a champion of righteousness and has no relish for sensuous pleasures. Let Rama abandon his home and live in the guru’s house; ask this of the king as your second boon.

If you agree not to our suggestion, you will gain nothing. If you have only been jesting, speak out clearly and let us know.

Does a son like Rama deserve to be exiled to the woods? What will people say to you when they hear of it? Up and quickly devise a plan to avert this grief and obloquy!

Devise some plan to avert this grief and infamy and save the family. Forcibly dissuade Rama from going to the woods, and make no other suggestion. As the day without the sun, as the body without the moon, so (says Tulasidasa) is the city of Ayodhya without its lord, Rama! I beg you, lady, to remember this!’

Pleasant to hear and designed to be salutary in result was the advice her companions gave, but she paid no heed to it, having been tutored by the mischievous humpback.

Raging with irrepressible fury, she wears a sullen look and utters not a word in reply, but looks at them as hungry tigress looks at the deer. Finding her sickness incurable, her friends gave he up, saying as they went, ‘Wretched fool!

Fate has been her ruin, queen though she be! She has done what nobody else would do!’ Thus lamented all the men and women of the city and began to heap on the wicked woman a myriadfold abuse.