Hi, my name is Manthara and I need to clarify the misunderstanding that people have had against me for many years. No one ever asked for my side of the story and just assumed the worst about me! I even got dragged across the palace floor for a death sentence without time to explain, but luckily Bharata asked them to spare my life. I always knew I took good care of him growing up. Many have described me in various versions of the Ramayana as the evil, crooked, and old lady that convinced Kaikeyi to banish Rama. They even go as far as calling me short necked, big bellied, and humpbacked. Now it is my turn to tell you the story from my point of view.
There I was, on the roof of the palace enjoying the breeze and beautiful view of the streets as the palace made preparations for Rama’s coronation. I noticed someone on the other side of the roof and moved closer to discover that it was queen Kaikeyi gazing sorrowfully in the distance. I sympathized with her and told her how I felt it was unfair for her to be loyal to the king all of these years, yet Rama was always the prized child and the only one in Dasharatha’s heart. I felt bad that her son Bharata never stood a chance at becoming king compared to Rama. I consoled Kaikeyi by reminding her that she still had two favors to request from the king because Kaikeyi once saved him and he promised her these favors. I was appalled the next day when I found out that the queen Kaikeyi had threatened Dasharatha with her own life to banish Rama for 14 years and place her own son as the king. I was at a loss for words. I had always thought queen Kaikeyi was a kind soul, but she turned cold. She commanded Rama to leave on the day of his coronation when all of the preparations had been made: streamers and flowers all around the city, a golden throne with tiger skin at the feet, elephants, and even chariot horses. I stood in the corner and watched as she banished Rama while the king wept tears of regret for previously giving Kaikeyi two favors.
As you can see from my story, all I did was give helpful advice to the queen by reminding her that she had two favors left from the king. I never told her what to ask for nor did I tell her to exile Rama for 14 years! Yes, I admit that I was a little mad from the time that Rama and his little group of friends made fun of my appearance so I told him off about respecting those who are older than him and then he out of nowhere attacked me! I have held a little grudge since but not enough to want to exile Rama. I have been faithfully taking care of the kingdom for years while nursing Bharata and serving the queen Kaikeyi.
Manthara and Keikeyi: Ramayana
Bibliography. "Ramayana" from Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie, web source
Author's Note: In the original episode of Manthara and Keikeyi, Manthara despised Rama because of a past incident and went to Keikeyi the day before Rama's coronation to tell Keikeyi to stop it from happening, otherwise Keikeyi's son, Bharata, would be exiled in the future. Manthara reminded Keikeyi that she still had two favors to request from the king after she saved the king's life. Keikeyi demanded that the king banish Rama for 14 years and make Bharata the king instead. I wanted to tell the story from Manthara's point of view because the story makes her out to be a really evil person who convinces the queen to betray the king but Manthara never told Keikeyi what to ask the king for. She never told the queen to banish Rama for 14 years.
Hi Rosa! I just want to start by saying this story was really entertaining. You did a great job. The paragraphs are well spaced out which makes it less overwhelming to read. I did not stop reading it until the end. It's refreshing to get Manthara's point of view. When I read the original story I felt a little bad for her but at the same time I also thought she was evil. After reading your story, I pity the old woman and gained a new perspective. The part where she explains how she was trying to be helpful by giving Kaikeyi advice helps open a new perspective It was also helpful how you wrote about what led up to the events of the conversation between the two women. The holes of the original story were perfectly filled when Manthara explains what happened between Rama and Manthara when he was a child. When I read the original story, I was curious about what she had told him that made him hit her. It's not surprising that even as a child Rama demanded respect. I agree that Manthara did not directly encourage Rama to be exiled but she did encourage Kaikeyi to hate Rama. The story makes it obvious that Manthara had a soft spot for Bharata and was just looking out for his well being. It is kind of unfair how Rama is the favorite son while the others are left in the shadows. It was sad when she described being dragged across the palace to her death and when she talked about how she is made fun of. It's not her fault she has a bad back!
ReplyDeleteI am curious as to what would have happened if Rama hadn't teased her or if Manthara didn't hold a grudge against Rama. Would she have given Kaikeyi the advice that she gave or would Rama have been her favorite too? Maybe you can create an alternative story or something about it ;)
Hi Rosa! I enjoyed reading your story from the perspective of Manthara. As I was reading the episodes of Ramayana I never really thought much into the character of Manthara, but her character really did have an important role in the story. I think this was a fantastic way to retell the story because it actually gives a better insight into what could have been going on behind the scenes. Ramayana is told from a narrator's point of view and the story you told is told from a character's point of view. I think this could be a great idea or a useful tactic to use in our project for the class. In the portfolio or in the storybook you could tell stories based off of "forgotten" characters from the stories we read, and they would all be connected that way. I look forward to reading more of your stories in the future!
ReplyDeleteHey Rosa! I liked your take on the story. I think you did really well with this different perspective. It reminds me that there are always to sides to a story. That even though we see some things as wrong, others may be doing what they think are for the best. That being said I like that you took the time to show the woman actually was just being a bit petty.
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