Saturday 28 December 2013

120. Maareecha advises Ravana.

                  Maareecha hesitantly told Ravana "Oh, King, I am sure that you already know that any one in power will attract sycophants very easily. Such people talk pleasantly just to please the master. As long as their talk pleases the master such people will not hesitate to advise the master to walk straight into a death trap. Oh, king, it is quite hard to get advisers who talk sensibly taking into account the welfare of the master. Such honest people give suggestions that may be apparently insipid, but factually be recuperative. 
            "Obviously you have not been properly informed about the capabilities of Rama who is decidedly dynamic and exaltedly adept. I am sorry to say that you seem to be impetuous and desultory in dealing with your spies. I can vouch from my personal experience that Rama is identical to the thunderous Mahendra and tempestuous Varuna.
            "Oh, boy, if you meddle with Rama in such an obscene manner, he will eradicate the entire rakshasha race from the earth.
             "You have been informed every thing incorrect about Rama. I tell you that he is NOT  forsaken by his father; not at all; there is NO unseemliness in him, not in the least; he is NOT out of character; he is NOT selfish; he is NOT an ignoble Kshatriya, not in the least; and he is neither a debased one insofar as the merits of righteousness are concerned, nor he is atrocious towards living beings, for he takes delight in the welfare of all beings. On seeing his father who is a proponent of truth, and whom Kaikeyi has outwitted, that virtue-souled Rama neatly decamped from Ayodhya declaring 'I will prove my father to be a real proponent of truth.' Discarding the kingdom and all the concomitant royal-comforts Rama entered Dandaka forest only to fulfill the cherish of Kaikeyi, viz., kingdom for her son Bharata, and also that of Dasharatha, viz., to remain loyal to his promise to Kaikeyi.
            "Rama is NOT ruthless; NOT an unscholarly one; unconquered are his senses? Absolutely NOT ; and oh, boy, it is not correct on your part to say something incorrect based on some hearsay from some unreliable source. Rama is the embodiment of righteousness, he is an equable person with truthfulness as his valour, and as with Indra to all gods he is the king of the entire world.
              "Rama's proper resplendence is protecting Vaidehi. How then you really wish to forcibly rob her off from Rama, as though wishing to rob the Sun of his resplendence.
              "Rama will be blazing like fire in battle, and he is invincible and it is not wise to meddle with him recklessly.
              "His bow when stretched by him up to his ear will look like the mouth that spouts flames, the arrows from that bow will look like the tongues of that mouth directing the flame to his adversaries. In a conflict, Rama will become fierce and insufferable when he wields bow and arrows, and oh, dear boy Ravana, it will be foolish to tamper with him. The outcome of such intrusion will cost you your kingdom, comforts and even the dear life of yours.
               "Seetha is guarded not only by the bow and arrows of Rama and his brother but also by the firewall called resplendence
                "With her own resplendence coupled with her chastity she is like a spire of blazing ritual fire and as such cannot be abused. Oh, king of rakshashas, what is the use of trying such a futile effort? In a battle with that Rama, his mere glances at you alone will end your life.
               "If you like to live for many more years and enjoy the pleasures and comforts as at present, do not even look in the direction of that Rama.
               "In case you do not like to heed my this advice then deliberate with all of your ministers who have a righteous bearing, duly keeping your brother Vibheeshana at the helm of affairs, and then you take a decision on your own considering rights and wrongs of the case, and bearing in mind about your own strengths and weaknesses, and also on making sure of Raghava's capability in its reality. 
               "Oh, Ravana, I am telling that a confrontation with Rama will not be beneficial to you.
            "I am telling you all this because of my personal experience with him and I like you and want you to live many more years. 
             "At one time I was roaming around the earth with great pride in my valour with the strength of a thousand elephants coupled with my size like a mountain. And my sheen was like a black-cloud. I was rambling the Dandaka forest, wearing ear-knobs and a crown made out of refined gold, with a bludgeon as my weapon, causing terror to the world, and eating the fleshes of rishis.
             "Even the Brahmarishi Vishvamitra was highly scared of me. To have me killed or at least contain me, he approached the king Dasharatha in person and requested him to spare the services of his son Rama for killing me or at least restrain me.
              "I learnt later that the king Dasharatha initially protested arguing that 'This boy Rama is less than twelve years of age, and as such not quite proficient in the use of weapons. Instead I can provide you the entire army of mine. I myself will lead the army personally.'
Comment.
In Bala Kanda the age of Rama as said by Dasharatha to Vishvamitra is 'less than sixteen years.' Here Maareecha is saying that Rama is less than twelve. Expert opinion is that Maareecha knowingly lessened the age of Rama only to intimidate Ravana.
End Comment.
                 "I came to know later that the brahmarishi insisted on Rama only and was not prepared to take any substitute. He told the king 'No force in the world other than Rama can counterbalance that rakshash. No doubt, you were a defender of gods in wars, and oh, king, the exploits you have undertaken on behalf of gods are well-known in the triad of worlds. I agree that your army is a remarkable one. But let it sit tight here alone. And even if this great resplendent son of yours is still a boy he alone is competent to forestall that Maareecha. I wish to take him alone along with me.'
                  "The king had no option but to send Rama with the brahmarishi. The brahmarishi Vishvamitra was highly delighted to get Rama and returned to his own hermitage along with the prince Rama. Then in Dandaka forest Rama twanging his amazing bow stayed nearby the brahmaishi Vishvamitra who entered the vow of Vedic-ritual.
                 "At that time, he did not have any hair on his very smooth soft face of a boy which he really was, but he was magnificent in looks with a peacock-blue complexion, wearing a single cloth, locks of hair, and golden locket, and wielding a bow, and he was irradiating the Dandaka forest with a radiating radiance of his own, and then he appeared like the just risen baby-moon.
                 "I simply laughed seeing the Brahmarishi brought a mere boy to protect him against me, who was like a massive black-cloud, wearing golden ear-knobs, already a forceful one further reinforced with the boon of Brahma. I nonchalantly entered into the interior of Vishwamitra's hermitage.
                 "Rama was very alert and noticed me on my very entry with an uplifted weapon, and on seeing me face to face he without any excitement strung the bowstring to his bow. It was funny to see a little boy trying to stop ME. Ignoring him, I ran towards that Fire-altar of Vishvamitra. He then with a single arrow threw me into the ocean which was a hundred yojanas away. I do not know why Rama did not wish to kill me then, and I am thus saved by that valiant one, oh, dear boy Ravana, but the thrust of Rama's arrow was bewildering and stunning and I was on my last legs. That way I who had been flung into the abyssal water of the ocean by him gained consciousness after a long time and proceeded towards the city of Lanka.
                  "He, however killed effortlessly my helpmates in that escapade. If he, that Rama could do this for me as a mere boy, imagine how powerful he must have grown now as a fully grownup man. In view of these facts, if you wish to confront him, despite my sincere advice against it, you will ruin yourself.
                  "If you do not take my sincere advice you will see the beautiful city of Lanka, dense with skyscrapers and palaces, and decorated with many a gemstone, completely shattered down. Because of your sin numerous righteous rakshashas will get ruined owing to their interdependence with other sinners, like the fish in a lake with snakes.
                 "Without any doubt Lanka will be encircled with an enmesh of arrows and enfolded in the tongues of torches, while her buildings would be utterly gutting down. Oh, king, there is no other sin that is more outrageous and gravest than dalliance with another's wife. If you desire to take pleasure with your beautiful wives and enjoy the company of your friends for a long time, do not do anything undesirable to Rama.
               "I am telling you all this because of my love and affection towards you. If you do not heed them and go ahead with your plan, your army will fade away, and you with your kinsfolk will emigrate to the world of Yama, for your life will be dispatched there by the arrow of Rama." 
               Seeing the faces of Ravana, Maareecha felt that he was not yet convinced. Maareecha, therefore continued his advise. "My dear fellow! What I was telling you so far happened when that Rama was a little boy. Now let me tell you what happened later after he became an adult. Somehow I recovered the shock of being thrown away to the far away ocean by Rama's arrow. After a few years, I unabashedly entered Dandaka forest together with two more rakshashas in the guise of animals.
             "I took the guise of a gigantic carnivorous animal with a torching tongue, incisive teeth and excruciating horns, and with an extraordinary energy, I was on the rove in Dandaka forest while getting at Rama. I was moving about Dandaka forest as an extremely horrible animal, utterly brutalising the sages at ritual-altars, holy bathing places and under the trees of religious sanctuaries.
             "I found Rama who by then has assumed the rectitude befitting to a saint. I was in the shape of an animal with incisive horns. Such as I was I recollected my earlier grudge against that great mighty Rama who takes delight in the welfare of all being, who by then was saintlike on a regulated diet and abiding in the forest, whereby I presumed him to be submissive as a hermit and not retaliate. In that way, I was very extremely infuriated to recollect his earlier assault on me, and I with my two companions indiscriminately dashed towards him, with an intent to kill him, completely disregarding his other faculties.
                  "Stringing out his highly magnificent bow Rama then released three excruciating and enemy eliminating arrows which in their egress matched the Air-god and the Divine-Eagle Garuda. All those three thunderbolt like arrows that had only blood for their board, acutely bent at barbs, and that were highly horrendous had come at us in a coordinated manner.
                  "As I had earlier experienced the power of his arrow, I retreated from there trickily and gingerly, but the other two demons were killed.
Comment.
Here the action of Rama's arrow is indicated. Rama's arrows will not shoot at the back of the opponent. Even when killing Vali, though Rama was not affronting Vali, Rama's arrow pierced Vali's chest. Here because Maareecha was retreating, that third arrow of Rama did not kill Maareecha but followed him in a chasing manner. But the other two rakshashas unknowing about Rama's arrow, they confronted him and the other two arrows eliminated them. 
End Comment.
                "When I was somehow exempted by the arrow of Rama I got some additional lifespan. But that arrow made me to renounce everything like a monk and drove me to this place, where I am living in a yogic way, self-collectedly like an ascetic. From then on wards, I am seeing Rama at this tree and at that tree, and the other tree, dressed in jute-cloths and black deerskin, and handling his bow like Yama handling a tether.
                "I am now so scared of him, that Rama, I imagine seeing thousands Ramas everywhere including this forest. Even at a place void of people I am envisaging Rama alone. And oh, king of rakshashas, at times he enters my dream making me jolting up and waking up perspiring all over.
                "Oh, Ravana, I am so scared of Rama even the names starting with the syllable 'ra' like ratna (= gemstone) or  ratha (= chariot), and also your name are appalling to me. 
If I hear the first letter 'ra' of any given name, I am scared at the ensuing second syllable presuming it to be 'ma' and if that second syllable of that word I am going to hear is not 'ma' then I relax.
                 "I am well-acquainted with his efficacy, and a war with him will be an unfair thing for you, for that Rama is very capable of killing either the Emperor Bali or Namuchi, the great rakshasha, in a conflict.
Comment.
Emperor Bali was more powerful and mighty than Ravana. 'Aananda Raamaayana' says in a chapter on the 'defeats of Ravana' (raavaNa paraajaya), that Ravana once entered the netherworld to conquer it, where Bali was held captive by Vishnu (as Vamana - see 5. Rama's character and valour revealed.). At that time Bali and his queen were playing a dice game. When Ravana entered, the dice in the hand of Bali slipped to the floor, and Bali asked Ravana to pick and give it before conquering his netherworld. Ravana who lifted Mt. Kailash could not lift that two-inch dice, which was so far handled playfully by Bali. Such was the might of Emperor Bali
End Comment. 
                 "You may either wage a war with Rama if you wish to avenge the killings of Khara and others, or agreeing to my suggestions forgive and forget that Rama, but do not broach the topic of Rama with me if you wish to see me alive. In the world many sagacious and reasonable people who are the practitioners of righteousness are utterly ruined along with their kith and kin, just by the misdeeds of others. Such a saintly one as I am now, I am liable to be ruined by other's misdeeds. Hence you do whatever that is fair to you, but do not involve me.
                  "I reiterate that Rama is the one with exceptional resplendence, exemplary courage and extraordinary power, and for sure, he is highly capable to eradicate the world of rakshashas.
                   "It was Khara positioned in Janasthaana  overstepped his bounds and attacked Rama without any reasonable reason, and if Rama  eliminated Khara in self-defence, what really is the transgression of Rama in that matter?
                 "I am saying this word of advise as I like you and want you to live for many more happy years. If this is disagreeable to you and if you go and meddle with Rama, then you will have to kiss good-bye to your dear life sooner than later." 

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