January 2 - Sargas 62 an 63 of Yuddha Kanda.
Two interesting and short sargas that highlight the slippery slope on which Ravana is proceeding in his own self-destructive way heedless of all good advice. Kumbhakarna, for all his so-labelled crudity and brutishness, comes across as a man with his head screwed on the right way. His advice is ineffective.
***
Valmiki describes the great celebration of confidence by all denizens of Lanka that accompanies the earth-shaking stride of a somewhat sleepy and surely inebriated Kumbhakarna to Ravana's palace.
Kumbhakarna enters the palace, sees Ravana seated on his glorious throne, physically resplendent like Indra but really downcast in his mood.
Ravana gets up, comes down, and warmly embraces his brother with his mood cheering up. Kumbhakarna also offers his affectionate obeisances and takes his designated high seat. He then asks,
किमर्थमहमादृत्य त्वया राजन् प्रबोधितः ।
शंस कस्माद् भयं तेऽत्र को वा प्रेतो भविष्यति ॥
"Oh, King! Pray tell me why I was woken up ceremoniously and invited here. What fear accosts you? Who is going to die and become a spirit? (=who is to be killed?)"
Ravana is apologetic, saying, "Oh, brave one, I know this is your sleeping time. I am sorry to have disturbed you. But you see...
सुषुप्तस्त्वं न जानीषे मम रामकृतं भयम् ।
एष दाशरथी श्रीमान् सुग्रीवसहितो बली ।
समुद्रं लङ्घयित्वा तु मूलं नः परिकृन्तति ॥
वानरैकार्णवं कृतम् ... ये राक्षसा मुख्यतमा हतास्ते वानरैर्युधि ।
वानराणां क्षये युद्धे प श्यामि कथञ्चन ... तदेतद् भयमुत्पन्नं त्रायस्वेह माहाबल!
"Oh dear Kumbhakarna, while you were asleep, the glorious son of Dasharatha, Sri Rama, has crossed the sea, has become more powerful on account of his pact with Sugriva, and has arrived with such an immense army that all the precincts around Lanka have been filled up by a sea of vanaras!
"Do you know, brother, Sri Rama has cut at our very roots!? All our mighty warrior rakshasas have been killed by the vanaras. I do not see at all any possibility of the vanaras being defeated. As a last resort, I beseech you, oh brother, with your great prowess, please save me and Lanka! Do you know our coffers are empty? Young and old, women and children, all in Lanka need your protection. I have never experienced such fear or distress ever. Also, I do not see anyone in the entire creation who is your match in military might. Dispel the enemy with your action like a whirlwind would dispel the densest autumnal clouds easily. Please..."
***
Kumbhakarna responds, with ironic laughter in his tone.
"Oh King, the very predicament and danger foretold in our discussions before by your wellwishers (read Vibhishana) has now come true.
शीघ्रं खल्वभ्युपेतं त्वां फलं पापस्य कर्मणः - "Indeed, you have reaped rather quickly the fruit of your misdeed of abducting Sita."
"You did not deliberate before your evil action. You did not think through the potential consequences.
देशकालविहीनानि कर्माणि विपरीतवत् ।
क्रियमाणानि दुष्यन्ति हवींष्यप्रयतेष्विव ॥
"Impetuous and thoughtless actions that take no cognizance of the appropriateness of time and place and with no consideration of adverse results always result in bad consequences much like oblations poured into the sacrificial fire without proper consecration."
त्रयाणां पञ्चधा योगं कर्मणां यः प्रपद्यते ।
सचिवैः समयं कृत्वा सम्यग् वर्तते पथि ॥
"That king who deliberates with his council the five aspects of any action, viz, starting method, time and place, men and materials needed, risk analysis and protection, and best way to heighten the probability of success; these five aspects particularly in respect of actions aimed at rival kings with whom the three options always exist- of making peace, of appeasement through an alliance, and alternatively of military confrontation; such a king would always be on the right path." (Implication- "you failed in this!")
"Oh King, one should know the best time respectively for virtuous actions, economic pursuits, and sensuous pleasures. Even well-educated kings can fail on occasion in this, rendering all their learning infructuous. There are two kinds of ministers- those who use their learning and intelligence and further their own careers by giving the right advice, and those who lack learning and survive by sycophancy and wrong economic advice. Some even ally with the enemy and sabotage their king by driving him to ruinous actions. Enemies indeed exploit such a king's vulnerability and corruptibility. "
यदुक्तमिह ते पूर्वं प्रियया मेऽनुजेन च ।
तदेव नो हितं वाक्यं यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥
"Oh King and my dear brother Ravana! You disregarded the sagely advice given to you by your queen Mandodari and also by our younger brother Vibhishana. Now you see where we are. It is therefore left to you to do as you please."
भ्रुकुटिं चेव संचक्रे क्रुद्धश्चैनमभाषत । "Ravana was angered by this unwelcome advice, he knitted his brows fiercely and spoke in a rage."
"Why are you preaching like my father or teacher? Why are you wasting your breath? I rejected all that advice perhaps out of misunderstanding or confidence in myself. Anyway it is past. The wise do not discuss bygones."
ममापनयजं दोषं विक्रमेण समीकुरु ।
यदि खल्वस्ति मे स्नेहो विक्रमं वाधिगच्छसि ॥
"Oh Kumbhakarna, ok, I did something wrong and got into this bad situation, but you should now set it right by your prowess! If at all your affection for me as my brother is true, you should stop all this nonsense and resort to your military prowess!"
***
Kumbhakarna realized that his words were not palatable to Ravana. He placated him.
रोषं च सम्परित्यज्य स्वस्थौ भवितुमर्हसि तमहं नाशयिष्यामि यत्कृते परितप्यते - "Oh King! Abandon your rage, and cool down to your normal sober mood. Leave it to me. I shall destroy the enemy who has caused you this distress and anxiety."
अद्य पश्य महाबाहो मया समरमूर्धनि ।
हते रामे सह भ्रात्रा द्रवन्तीं हरिवाहिनीम् ॥
हस्ताभ्यामेव संरभ्य हनिष्यामि सवज्रिणम् ।
मयाद्य रामे गमिते यमक्षयं चिराय सीता वशगा भविष्यति ॥
'Oh Lord, the mighty-armed Ravana! Witness today my valour. I shall exterminate Sri Rama along with his brother. The vanaras will then flee in all directions. I shall devour them all and still feel unsatiated. Whoever among gods- Indra, Yama, Surya, whoever comes to the enemy's defence will be destroyed by me. I will kill all those vanaras, especially Sugriva and that Hanuman. I shall need no weapons! I will crush Sri Rama with my bare palms and fists. Even Indra cannot come and protect him.
"Be happy. Get drunk and be ready to celebrate. When Sri Rama is killed by me and sent to Yamaloka, Sita will become yours forever!"
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
