Hari Om.
Let us begin the fourteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
On one hand, the younger brother vibhIshaNa was waging a lone battle of breathing sense into the king and his elder brother to return sItA with due honour to rAma and avoid a conflict that might spell doom not just for the king but the entire clan of the demons, the discourse on the other hand was touching new lows. While many of the warriors flexed their muscles which included the tongue and assured rAvaNa that he need not worry about the offensive of rAma, kumbhakarNa also did so but not before chastising rAvaNa for his decision to abduct sItA without seeking inputs from his counsellors. One mahApArSwa touched the lowest notes when he suggested that rAvaNa can force himself upon sItA and revel with her and render the battle inconsequential which in any case would be won by the demons. This suggestion was sheepishly discarded by rAvaNa who recounted the dark secret that he will be finished the moment he tries to sport with someone without her consent. But he thundered that he was invincible. The assembly was heating up. Onwards…
vibhIshaNa listened to the words of rAvaNa as well as the roars of kumbhakarNa and spoke wisely desiring the welfare of the demon king –
“O king, this sItA has the hood of the snake in her bosom and carries grief as poison. Her bewitching smile is the sharp fang. Her five fingers are the five hoods and why is such a serpent desired by you?
Before the gigantic vAnaras with sharp claws and teeth lay siege over lanka, please return sItA to dASarathI, rAma.
Before the thunder-like arrows of rAma that travel with the speed of the wind go for the heads of the demon warriors, please return sItA to dASarathI, rAma.
यावन्नगृह्णन्तिशिरांसिबाणारामेरिताराक्षसपुङ्गवानाम् ।
वज्रोपमावायुसमानवेगाःप्रदीयतांदाशरथायमैथिली ।।6.14.4।।
O king, neither kumbhakarNa nor indrajit nor mahApArSwa nor mahOdara nor nikumbha nor kumbha nor atikAya can stand rAma in the battle. rAma will not spare you with life no matter whether you are guarded by the sun or the maruts or even if you are in the lap of indra or the god of death or even if you take to the skies or go to the nether worlds”.
Responding to the words of vibhIshaNa prahasta categorically said that they knew no fear of the gods or demons or yakshas or gandharvas or uragas (serpents) or the avian species or anyone else for that matter. Then why would they fear rAma, a prince of men in battle at all?
Responding to the words of prahasta, vibhIshaNa steeped in dharma and the means to achieve good of the demons, spoke deeply meaningful words –
“O prahasta, you or the king or kumbhakarNa are ineligible to speak about vanquishing rAma just like someone who has adharma as his intention is ineligible to speak about the heavens.
प्रहस्त राजाचमहोदरश्चत्वंकुम्भकर्णश्चयथाऽर्थजातम् ।
ब्रवीतरामंप्रतितन्नशक्यंयथागतिस्स्वर्गमधर्मबुद्धेः ।।6.14.10।।
Further, just like one who doesn’t want to swim can’t cross the ocean, how can the expert warrior rAma be vanquished by your or me or by any one among the demons for that matter? Facing this king born in the ikshvAku dynasty for whom dharma is the foremost, who is a mahArathI and an expert archer even the gods get bewildered. O prahasta what are you blurting out, the sharp arrows bearing feather tails unleashed by rAma will pierce through your body and tear it off taking the life out of you. It is impossible to face rAma who is capable like indra by either rAvaNa, triSIrsha, kumbhakarNa or his son nikumbha, indrajit, dEvantaka, narAntaka, atikAya, akampana in the battle.
This king has been possessed by vices and is being encouraged by enemies masquerading as friends and thereby without analysing the situation hurling the demons in the path of destruction. He seems to have been grabbed by the thousand hooded serpent, the mighty Ananta. Please extract him by force and free him from its shackles. He needs to be protected by all those who have lived off him fulfilling their wishes even by grabbing his hair just like a man possessed is grabbed by his hair and reined in. If we do not do that he is sure to fall in to the ocean called rAma and submerge in the pit called kakutstha. I speak these words for the welfare of this city, the demons, the king and the well-meaning people. Let us give back the wife of the king rAma”.
A wise counsellor should estimate the valour of the enemy and know their own strength, knowing the gain and losses in a battle, should discuss among one’s people and be aware of their opinion and speak keeping the welfare of the lord (king) in mind.
Here we conclude the fourteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.015. vibhIshaNa blasts indrajit
Previous: 6.013. rAvaNa reveals his dark secret
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
