Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty third sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
It was akampana who first reported the devastation at the janasthAna by rAma to rAvaNa. He described the peerless might of rAma and made it clear that it was impossible to defeat rAma in the battle. Saying so, he seeded the idea of hijacking rAma’s wife sItA to hit rAma psychologically to win over him. This bad idea appealed to rAvaNa and he made a plan to hijack sItA by deceit and reached out to demon mAricha to help him accomplish this ignominy! The demon mAricha was once bitten twice shy, having tasted the prowess of rAma before and survived his assault somehow, breathed sense into rAvaNa and warned him against this misadventure that will cost not only him but his entire clan dearly. Good sense prevailed and rAvaNa returned home. Sage vAlmIki describes the palace and might of rAvaNa and introduces him with a sound reminder that he is no pushover and has won over even the gods in battle. Now the second informant from the janasthAna, the cause of it all, ogress SUrpaNakha made it to rAvaNa to apprise him of the matter and seek revenge. Onwards…
The crestfallen and livid ogress SUrpaNakha now accosted rAvaNa, the bane of the worlds, who was surrounded by his council and said –
“Deeply steeped in passion and related activities, leading a life without self-control, indulging in promiscuity you have closed your eyes to the dangers that are happening and are refusing to even acknowledge those. Beware, a king lost in vulgar pleasures is not respected by the people just like they won’t worship the fire in the pyre. A king who doesn’t attend to important issues in the right time will be destroyed along with the kingdom. The subjects of the kingdom avoid a king who is not updated by employing spies, who doesn’t grant audience and who is not assertive and independent just like elephants avoid a muddy waterbody. Those kings who are not capable of protecting their own country do not shine through like the mountains inside the ocean.
On one hand you have picked up enmity with the self-respecting gods, demi-gods and other demons, and then you have not appointed spies to constantly update yourself about what is going on and you are fickle minded, stupid and childish. How do you deserve to be a king?
त्वन्तु बालस्वभावश्च बुद्धिहीनश्च राक्षस।
ज्ञातव्यन्तु न जानीषे कथं राजा भविष्यसि।।3.33.8।।
Those kings who do not have statecraft, spies and the exchequer under their control are equal to commoners. A king keeps himself abreast of a happenings in far-away places through his spies and hence he is called far-sighted. But you on the other hand are a fool surrounded by pretty ordinary ministers. You have not engaged spies to know what is going at janasthAna and consequently are unaware of the devastation that has taken place there.
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां क्रूरकर्मणाम्।
हतान्येकेन रामेण खरश्च सहदूषणः।।3.33.12।।
ऋषीणामभयं दत्तं कृतक्षेमाश्च दण्डकाः।
धर्षितं च जनस्थानं रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा।।3.33.13।।
Listen, janasthAna has fallen to a solitary rAma capable of pulling off most arduous tasks. He has vanquished fourteen thousand cruel demons along with khara and dUshaNa and has freed the danDaka forests from the fear of demons. Thereby he has offered protection to the sages.
O rAvaNa, you are greedy, conceited and are in the control of others and hence you do not realize the danger that has arisen in the kingdom! A king who is rash, not a generous giver, conceited and fraudulent is not sought refuge in by the people in times of adversity. Not only that, a king who excessively boastful, not acceptable to others and angry is eliminated by his own kin during such times. If a king is reckless and doesn’t fear what ought to be feared and is vigilant, his life will become miserable like a blade of grass tossed by all. He is sure to lose his kingdom. What is worse, even a log of wood, handful of dust or fistful of soil will have more value than a dethroned king! He is useless like a discarded worn out cloth or a decayed garland.
अप्रमत्तश्च यो राजा सर्वज्ञो विजितेन्द्रियः।
कृतज्ञो धर्मशीलश्च स राजा तिष्ठते चिरम्।।3.33.20।।
On the other hand, a king who is vigilant, abreast of happenings in his kingdom and is self-restrained, grateful and righteous will live and rule long. Such a king even if his eyes are closed is always watchful through the eyes of the statecraft and bereft of anger and recklessness is celebrated by the people.
नयनाभ्यां प्रसुप्तोऽपि जागर्ति नयचक्षुषा।
त्यक्तक्रोधप्रमादश्च स राजा पूज्यते जनैः।।3.33.21।।
However you O rAvaNa are evil and devoid of such qualities that define a great king. Your spies didn’t even know about the devastation of the demons in the janasthAna.
परावमन्ता विषयेषु सङ्गतो न देशकालप्रविभागतत्ववित्।
अयुक्तबुद्धिर्गुणदोषनिश्चये विपन्नराज्यो नचिराद्विपत्स्यसे।।3.33.23।।
Those kings who have the habit of accusing others, indulge in sensual pleasures and without regard for appropriateness of time or place, do not exercise discretion in matters of virtue and vice will perish along with their kingdom”.
Schooled thus by SUrpaNakha about his shortcomings, the lord of the nocturns, rAvaNa, reveling in wealth, pride and might pondered about her points for a while.
Here we conclude the the thirty third sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 3.34. She seeds and feeds poison
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
