Hari Om.
Let us begin the fortieth sarga of the araNya kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
mAricha survived rAma’s assault twice. He admitted that it was rAma who spared him both times despite being eminently capable of discharging him to the abode of the god of death as was evident from the extinction of all his accomplices on both occasions. After the second scare, he changed for good. He was mortally terrified of rAma’s prowess. The unerring arrows left a deep scar on his psyche. He saw rAma in every tree in the forest. He saw him in thousands surrounding him from all sides wielding his bow verily like the god of death standing with the noose! Should he see rAma in sleep, it would be a nightmare from which he woke up palpitating and would faint! Thus he feared rAma in both when he was awake as well as when he was asleep. Then heightening his articulation he says, any word that starts with the syllable rA aroused deep fear in him!! Sage vAlmIki excels supremely in conveying the fear in the mid of mAricha. Sensing rAvaNa might not care for any of this, mAricha tells him that he may be excused should rAvaNa decide to go ahead with his plan. Thus in a myriad ways, mAricha counseled, scared, advised the ten headed demon rAvaNa in the interest of both of them. Onwards…
The appropriate and sagely advise given by mAricha were spurned by rAvaNa just like a diseased desirous of death detests medicine! That lord of the demons rAvaNa rebutted harshly and inappropriately to the well-wisher mAricha –
“O mAricha, you cannot by your words, dissuade me from confronting that sinful, foolish and an ordinary human rAma who left for the forest at once leaving behind his friends, parents and kingdom just based on the words of a common woman! Of course, in your presence I shall abduct the wife of rAma, who is dearer to him than his own life and no one can desist me from doing so, including the indra or all the gods put together. Look, the pros and cons, risk and benefit analysis ought to be done only when your advise is sought. Even then a wise man, interested in his own welfare conveys the good and bad with folded hands, humbly, and in words that are polite and not unfavorable wishing the good of the lord of the land. A king deserving honor feels slighted and dishonored if good advise him offered to him in harsh words.
सावमर्दं तु यद्वाक्यं मारीच हितमुच्यते।
नाभिनन्दति तद्राजा मानार्हो मानवर्जितम्।।3.40.11।।
Valorous kings contain the heat of the fire god, valor and might of indra, gentleness of the moon, punishing ability of varuNa and the compassion of the god of death yama. Therefore O mAricha, a king must be respected under all circumstances.
You on the other hand have no idea what is dharma, you are deluded and mean and you are speaking harshly to me who has come as a guest! I have not asked you or sought your advice as to whether this was a good thing to do or what is good or bad for me. I am only asking you to do the following, help me in accomplishing this great task a valiant demon – become a golden deer with shining silver spots and roam around the hermitage of rAma. With that alluring golden form lure sItA and then go far wherever you like. Fascinated by that form, sItA will press rAma to fetch it for her. He will come chasing you. Lead him to a far off place and then imitating his voice, cry out “O sItA, O lakshmaNa!”. Listening to that voice and mistaking it for rAma’s, out of his affection for him saumitri (lakshmaNa) will also follow the trail of rAma’s path. Once both of them are gone far, I shall take off vaidEhi just like indra took away SachI!
O gentle one, having accomplished this much, go where ever you please. I shall give you half of my kingdom in reward. O dear, start, go ahead, let your way be auspicious, I shall follow you to the daNdaka forests on my chariot. Without waging battle with rAma, I shall abduct sItA by deceiving him and then having accomplished the task, I shall go to lanka along with you.
If you don’t follow my order, I shall kill you right now. I will ensure you do this even if I have to force you. No one who opposes the king lives in pleasure. Your may lose your life if you face rAma, but if you oppose now me your death is certain! Therefore, think wisely and act appropriately.
Here we conclude the the fortieth sarga of the araNya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
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Next: 3.41. mAricha tries one last time
Previous: 3.39. For mAricha “rA is for rAma”!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 