Thursday 2 January 2014

122. Maareecha tries to dissuade Ravana once more.

               Maareecha could not stomach the perverse, unreasonable, cussed and obstinate order of the arrogant Ravana. As the ordered course of action was totally incorrect and would definitely lead to the total annihilation of the rakshasha race, Maareecha decided to implore Ravana once again. He told Ravana with all the submissiveness demanded by Ravana "Your majesty, may I know whose idea is this which is ruinous to you, along with your progeny, kingdom and ministers put together?  Who is that reprobate unhappy with you, and desires to destroy you and all your family and friends? Oh, king, He has verily shown you this door of demise ingeniously. It is very clear, oh, night-walker, that your rivals with skimpy might are aspiring that you should be completely ruined by coming into conflict with more mighty Rama. He who wishes you to get ruined by your undertaking a self-made destruction is a scoundrel with a pernicious intent.
               "It appears that your ministers are not dissuading you when you scramble on a high road to self-ruination, and as such they indeed deserve to be sentenced to death. Veracious ministers have to restrain a self-willed king when he relies on a wrong-route. But you are unrestrained by your ministers though you are self-willed and though you are taking a wrong-route. Oh, Sir, probity, prosperity and pleasures and even the popularity of the ministers are achieved at the beneficence of their master.
              "Contrariwise, oh, Ravana, all that beneficence of the king to ministers becomes futile when the king behaves perversely, and even the others, namely the subjects of kingdom, will derive distress by the negative virtues of their master. The king alone is the root cause for probity and prosperity. Therefore in all situations the kings are to be safeguarded from the ill effects of influences. It is impossible to govern the kingdom for a king with acridity, hostility or immorality.
              "The ministers with drastic and improper notions will indeed fall apart together with their king, like a chariot that gets shattered together with its charioteer on a rough road, though it is hieing with galloping horses but badly controlled by that slothful charioteer.
              "In the world many saintly beings who were high-minded and pursuers of ethicality were completely ruined together with their kinsmen owing to the misdeeds of others.               "Oh, Ravana, the subjects do not flourish while a lord with contrariety and coerciveness rules them, just like goats guarded by a fox. Oh Ravana, though you have conquered the heavenall those rakshashas, to whom you are the acrimonious and malicious king with unconquered senses, will definitely be ruined.             
               "I guess that there is no point to blame you or me for the situation I am now in, as it is like 'the crow-palm-tree syndrome'. However, in this issue you alone are regrettable, for you are gong to be completely ruined along with your military.
Comment.
This in Sanskrit is called kAka-tAlIya--nyAyam:  'crow-palm-tree syndrome' is one among the many compiled in that language. Here, a fox whose leg is broken has come underneath a palm tree to take shelter from the scorching sun, as there is no other shady tree. At the same time a crow swooped down on to the tip of the tree, by which a palm fruit, as big and weighty as a small pinball fell on the head of fox by the swoop of the crow, and then the misery of that fox is unexplainable. The sitting of fox, swoop of crow, fall of fruit are all at a time and thus none can blame the other. This syndrome is named for such fortuitous happenings.

End Comment.
           "That Rama will soon kill you after killing me, and I will be dying at the hand of my enemy rather than at the hand of my own clansman like you, whereby the purpose of my life will be brought to an end.
             "Know that I am killed just when Rama notices me, and know that you will also be killed along with your kinsmen when you steal Seetha. If you are going to kidnap Seetha from their hermitage on going there with me, then sooner than later you will not be there, I will not be there, Lanka will not be there, the rakshashas will not be there. As a desirer of your welfare I am trying to dissuade you, oh, night-walker, but you may feel that this word of mine is unpleasant to you. People on diminishing lifetime will be similar to corpses and a corpse cannot take in the expedient spoken by considerate confidants."
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