Dasaratha announced his wish to anoint Rama as the King of Kosala. Rama was asked to do some poojas and austerity for the previous night of his crown. People were also rejoicing after the announcement. It was like a festival in the kingdom, especially in Ayodhya.
Manthara came to Kaikeyi's palace and informed her the news. Kaikeyi presented her a necklace for the good news she had brought. Manthara threw it away and said, "Woe to you, stupid woman. All is lost
and stupidly you laugh with joy. How can you be blind to the misfortune that is coming to you? Am I to laugh or cry at this folly?"
Manthara started changing the mind of Kaikeyi. Psychology, especially of a married woman is shown here exactly in Ramayana. "Bharatha ids not in the city. The King has choosen the right time to cheat you and your son by crowning Rama", she added. Kaikeyi thought Manthara, "Like any other officious personal attendant, was ingratiatingly jealous in her mistress's interests. How could this woman understand the goodness of Rama, or affairs of State?"
"If Rama is crowned, Kausalya will get all respect. You need to depend on her even for offering to a beggar at your door." Dasaratha's rule is praised as there was no beggar in the kingdom. But Manthara means to say that Rama's rule will be such that people start begging to others. If one wish to say evil about others he can go to any extent and say which can never happen. But Kaikeyi was not moved by those words. Manthara added a lot to convince. "Once Rama is crowned there is danger for Bharatha's life."
Kaikeyi was intelligent and a she was a good warrior. She cannot accept all irrational speech by Manthara. then Manthara used a last chance to convince kaikeyi psychologically. Kaikeyi belongs to the kingdom of Kekaya. Her father is the king of Kekaya kingdom. A married woman can easily be convinced if she gets a fear that something happens to her parents, or the place she was born and brought up. In that case she cannot think and differentiate good and bad.
Manthara said, "Do you remember once Janaka attacked Kekaya? Janaka was defeated as Dasaratha was supporting your father. But if Rama is crowned, then in case if Janaka wages a war on Kekaya, Rama would be supporting his father-in-law as your husband did. Your father would be defeated. Do you want your father to lose his kingdom?" Kaikeyi now has onlty thought of saving her father's kingdom. Manthara added, "There is a way to save from this danger.", and reminded her about the two boons Dasartha promised kaikeyi long back.
The way Manthara convinced Kaikeyi shows the psychology of a woman, and how it is handled by Manthara in evil manner. The epics shows such characters and incidents to teach us not to fall into the traps of such people. Learning from the lives of our ancestors is the main aim of such histories, which are told to us in form of stories.
