Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty seventh sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
After the hospitality extended by mAricha with due protocol, rAvaNa settled down and began narrating the cause of his advent and his plan. He gave an account of what happened at the janasthAna that led to the comprehensive routing of the demonic clan there. He twisted the tale and said the fourteen thousand demons just happened to see rAma with their weapons and and seemed to suggest they didn’t commit any excesses and it was rAma who without engaging in any discussion took to his bow and arrow and vanquished them all! Therefore, he told mAricha that rAma needs to be won over but before that he would like to abduct his wife sItA and then attack a separated and dispirited rAma and win him over. mAricha was to become a stunning golden deer and entice sItA to insist on the same. When rAma and lakshmaNa go out to fetch the deer, he would easily abduct sItA. Listening up this terrible plan, mAricha who had earlier at the sharp end of rAma’s arrows had his mouth dried up in utter fright at the consequences this will lead to. He began to suggest rAvaNa in their interest. Onwards…
The highly articulate mAricha, heard the words of rAvaNa and then the wise one replied to the king of the demons –
सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन्सततं प्रियवादिनः।
अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः।।3.37.2।।
“O king, easy indeed it is to be surrounded by yes-men who speak the words that one likes. But when it comes to articulating what is good, both the speaker and listener are rare to find.
न नूनं बुध्यसे रामं महावीर्यं गुणोन्नतम्।
अयुक्तचारश्चपलो महेन्द्रवरुणोपमम्।।3.37.3।।
You certainly have no clue about who rAma is, his valour and attributes which are on par with those of indra and varuNa. You are fickle and have not employed spies to conduct your due diligence.
Oh my god, if rAma is enraged, he will wipe out the race of demons from the world. Will there be peace for the demons on this planet? I hope sItA is not born with a goal secure the end of your life and I hope I do not face any terrible situation on account of her. And I hope having got you, an un-self-restrained lord who is a slave to the sensual pleasures, the city of lanka will not perish along with you. A king such as yourself, slave to the sensual pleasures, of bad conduct and counseled in evil ways not only destroys himself but the kingdom as well.
न च पित्रा परित्यक्तो नामर्यादः कथञ्चन।
न लुब्धो न च दुश्शीलो न च क्षत्रियपांसनः।।3.37.8।।
न च धर्मगुणैर्हीनः कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनः।
न तीक्ष्णो न च भूतानां सर्वेषामहिते रतः।।3.37.9।।
rAma, the delight of mother kausalyA was not banished by the king, he is not one to transgress dharma, he is not miserly, he is not one of bad conduct, he is not a slur on the kshatriyas, he is not one without righteous attributes, he is not harsh, he is not engaged in the harm of all beings.
He saw that his truthful father was deceived by kaikEyI and in order to fulfil the desire of kaikEyI and the word given by his father, of his own volition, he entered the danDaka forests giving up the luxuries and the kingdom.
न रामः कर्कशस्तात नाविद्वान्नाजितेन्द्रियः।
अनृतं दुश्श्रुतं चैव नैव त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि।।3.37.12।।
O dear rAvaNa, rAma is not hard-hearted, he is not unscholarly, he is not un-self-restrained. You are ill-informed about him and so you ought not speak untruth.
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मस्साधुस्सत्यपराक्रमः।
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवानां मघवानिव।।3.37.13।।
rAma is the very embodiment of dharma. He is perfect. Truth is his strength. He is the leader of the whole world just like lord indra is of the gods. You want to snatch away vaidEhi who is safe-guarded by her own effulgent character and it is as impossible as snatching the radiance from the Sun.
In battle, rAma is verily an impenetrable fire flaming with arrows and his bow and the sword as its fuel and you should not think of entering that fire. And that raging fire is capable of consuming entire armies of the enemy all alone. You ought not enter that raging inferno leaving behind your kingdom, comforts and your very life. rAma is the veritable god of death. And as such to abduct her from the protection of that bow of rAma of immeasurable power, you are completely incompetent. sItA is the darling wife who is ever loyal to and follows the radiant rAma. She is dearer to rAma than his own life. Just like you cannot touch the flame of the blazing fire, you can touch her.
Why are you entertaining this foolish and futile misadventure, the day you see rAma in a battle, you are life is finished.
जीवितं च सुखं चैव राज्यं चैव सुदुर्लभम्।
यदीच्छसि चिरं भोक्तुं मा कृथा रामविप्रियम्।।3.37.22।।
If indeed you want to enjoy life, comforts and the difficult-to-obtain kingdom forever, don’t antagonize rAma.
You must confer with your ministers led by prominent and righteous people like vibhIshaNa and then decide in this matter. Weigh the pros and cons of the matter appropriately, understand your strength and weakness and that of rAma as a matter of fact. Based on such due diligence, and thinking of the good or bad it will cause, you ought to decide.
अहं तु मन्ये तव न क्षमं रणे समागमं कोसलराजसूनुना।
इदं हि भूयश्श़ृणु वाक्यमुत्तमं क्षमं च युक्तं च निशाचरेश्वर।।3.37.25।।
If you ask me, you are not capable of confronting rAma, the son of the king of kOsala in war. Listen to my beneficial words, O nocturn, it is not appropriate for you to engage in war with rAma.
Here we conclude the the thirty seventh 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: 3.38. Don’t mess with rAma, mAricha says
Previous: 3.36. rAvaNa reveals his plan, shocks mAricha!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
