6.036. Power abhors truth!

Hari Om.

Let us begin the thirty sixth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

As rAma along with the ocean like army advanced towards lanka, the demons became anxious and rAvaNa summoned his warriors and commanders. He cast a sharp gaze at the nervous lot and almost rebuked them for their demeanour. He asked them what their strategy should be. And then his mother’s (kaikasI’s) uncle by name mAlyavAn mustered his wisdom and bravely spoke to rAvaNa. He spoke truth and called out the adharma that rAvaNa was steeped in and how that can bring the downfall of the demon race. He substantiated his reckoning of the disaster by pointing out the evil omens that were seen all around them. And with all that said, he advised the king to not pick fight with rAma who even the gods fear to fight and respectfully return maithilI to him. Onwards…

The ten headed king listened to the good counsel offered by mAlyavAn and the evil demon king with his time marked as up didn’t brook any of it. He frowned at him, possessed by intense anger and with his eyes expressing disdain and annoyance said to mAlyavAn –

I won’t pay heed to these harsh and unwholesome advise that you have uttered just now by siding with the enemy camp. That mean rAma, after all a human, taking refuge of a vAnara who was banished to the forest by his father is considered to be capable by you! And by what means do you think, me, the terrorizer of the gods to be inferior in valour? I suspect it is either out of jealousy for my valour or due to the partiality you are displaying towards the enemy! Without the support of the enemy, which wise and learned man will speak harshly to his employer who is responsible for his being and welfare?

प्रभवन्तं पदस्थं हि परुषं कोऽभिधास्यति ।

पण्डितः शास्त्रतत्त्वज्ञो विना प्रोत्साहनाद्रिपोः ॥

sItA who is like lakshmI bereft of the lotus has been brought from the forest by me. Why should I return her due to the fear of rAghava? Watch me slaying rAma accompanied by lakshmaNa, sugrIva and scores of vAnaras in a matter of days. How can that rAma cause fear in that rAvaNa against whom even the gods can’t stay their ground in the battle?

द्विधा भज्येयमप्येवम् न नमेयं तु कस्यचित् ।

एष मे सहजो दोषः स्वभावो दुरतिक्रमः ॥

Even if I am split into two, there is no way I will bow before anybody. You may call it my fault or nature, that cannot be transgressed. If rAma has built a bridge across the ocean and crossed it then what is so surprising about it and why are you so scared? I know for sure, the rAma who has crossed the ocean along with the vAnara army will not be cross back the ocean alive”.

As an exasperated and angry rAvaNa blasted him thus, mAlyavAn was embarrassed and made no effort to speak further. He hailed victory to the king, blessed him and left for his abode. rAvaNa then conferred with his ministers, discussed the strategies and made unprecedented security arrangements in lanka. He ordered prahasta to guard the eastern gate. The southern gate was guarded by warriors mahApArSva and mahOdara. His son the trickster indrajit was assigned to guard the western gate along with a large army of demons. He told the ministers that he will be himself guarding the northern gate along with Suka and sAraNa. In the middle of the lanka was the extremely valorous virUpAksha along with a huge battalion.

Having made elaborate arrangements thus, the demon king, with his end very near, thought himself to be victorious and accomplished. The wealthy demon king then dismissed the assembly having given elaborate instructions to his ministers and hailed by them retired in to his opulent inner chambers.