63. VIBHISHANA :

KUMBHAKARNA, the younger
brother of Ravana, spoke in the assembly:


"Great King! Ignoring the principles of
statecraft, you have run into a great
danger. If you had any grievance against
Rama and Lakshmana, you should have
met them face to face and defeated and
slain them before carrying off Sita. If you
had acted thus, even Sita would have
admired you and there would then have
been a possibility of her accepting you. As
waters flow down a mountain, she would
have followed a victorious warrior. You
did not consult us before committing the
offence and incurred the enmity of Rama,
but now, when it is too late, you seek our
counsel. This is not the right way of doing
things that a king should follow."


Having spoken thus harshly,
Kumbhakarna looked at the king and saw
he was pained. Affectionate as he was
brave, he could not endure the sadness in
his brother's face.


"Let by-gones be by-gones," he
thought, "one cannot forsake one's honor."
Kumbhakarna was under no delusion
as to the consequences, but his generous
spirit accepted them for the sake of the
brother he idolised. He knew that Rama
was a peerless warrior.


He knew the power of his bow and also
the limitations of the boons that Ravana
had received from the gods. But it was no
good taking the heart out of others in the
face of unavoidable peril and so be also
began to speak vaunting words like the
rest:


"What You did may be wrong, and so
too the way you chose to do it. You have
done first what you should have done last.
And yet, it does not matter. I shall slay
Rama. Do not be afraid. One or two of his
arrows may touch me. In spite of it, I shall
kill him and drink his blood and victory
will be yours. My brother, lay aside your
care, and think of other things."


Some people suggest that
Kumbhakarna was dull and so he thus
contradicted himself. But it was not
stupidity, it was due to generous affection
that he accepted the inevitable fearlessly.
He was a proud warrior who loved his
brother and his people and he decided on
honorable death with them.


Prahasta was Ravana's chief
counsellor. He spoke of the King's
invincible strength and cheered him up.


Ravana now grew enthusiastic and
said: "Didn't I vanquish Kubera? Didn't I
drive him out and make Lanka my own?
Who dare come here and oppose me? Let
us see!"


The assembly applauded these words.
Vibhishana alone did not join in the
applause. He did not mind the wrath of his
royal brother. He felt it was his duty to
warn him of the danger and the error of
his ways.
He felt bound to make his utmost effort
to save him and the Rakshasa race from
doom. He stood up and spoke:
"You have brought Sita and with her,
death for yourself and your race. Your
first duty to yourself and your people is to
restore her to Rama. If you fail in this, we
shall all assuredly perish. This is certain."


He went on describing Rama's strength
and skill and his mastery of weapons. He
spoke frankly and without fear.
"If we oppose Rama," he said, "defeat
is inevitable. Our fortune is sinking. Let
us restore Sita, seek Rama's pardon and
thus save our kingdom, our lives and
possessions and honor."


At this importunity of Vibhishana,
Indrajit, Ravana's son, lost patience and
burst out:


"My uncle's words fill me with shame.
What race are we? What is our strength? I
marvel that a descendant of Pulastya
should talk in this strain and that the
assembly should meekly sit and listen. My
uncle has only betrayed his evil intentions.


We can never agree to his proposal. Are
we to be afraid of two petty humans? Did
I not beat Indra down in battle and his
hordes of gods? Does not the whole world
tremble even now in terror before us?
Vibhishana's counsel is an insult to our
race!"


Vibhishana answered gently: "Boy,
you lack experience. That is why you talk
thus. You are the king's son and should be
his best friend. But I am afraid you are
proving yourself his worst enemy. And
you, ministers who ought to give good
advice, you are leading the king to ruin.


My Lord of Lanka! Do not reject what I
say. Return Sita honorably to Rama and
seek his forgiveness. This is the only way.
There is no other. Failing to pursue the
only available course, we shall all perish."
Ravana's rage was now uncontrollable.


"I put up with your talk thus far," he
shouted in anger, "because you are my
brother. Else you would by now be dead.
A brother, I see, is one's worst enemy. All
the world knows that the envy of brothers
brings dishonor and discomfiture to the
brave. They hide their real desire and wait
for their time and, when it comes, do not
hesitate to practise their treachery. How
true is the complaint of the wild elephants
in the story! We are not afraid of the
burning fire. 'We do not mind the hunters
and their long spears. The noosed ropes
and the chains can do little harm to us.


But the elephants which join the hunters
and give us trouble, these brothers and
cousins who turn against us, they are our
terror!' Yes. So long as one is safe and
prosperous, the brother smiles and talks
pleasantly. But when danger comes, he is
ready to leave. The bee does not stay with
the flower after the honey has been
sucked. It goes in search of another
flower. Brothers and cousins are no better
than these bees. One cannot trust them in
adversity. If any one else should have
spoken as you have done, Vibhishana, I
would have slain him here and now. Base
fellow! You are a disgrace to our race!"


Unable to bear the insult, Vibhishana
rose and said: "My brother, you may
speak as you please. Though you have
wandered from the way of dharma, you
are still my brother and I warn you that,
drawn by the noose of Yama, you are
going along the path of destruction. My
advice, salutary but unpleasant, you reject.


It is easy to speak sweet words. Your
ministers are doing it. I spoke for your
good. But truth is bitter and you hate it.


The terrible vision of Rama's darts
destroying you is before my mind's eye
and makes me speak as I do. You call me
your enemy. Defend your city and your
life as well as you can. God bless you! I
am going. May you be happy! I thought I
could serve you in your need, but you will
not let me. You imagine that I envy you
and your possessions. Good counsel is
rejected by one whose end is near."


Having spoken thus, and realising that
there was no place for him in Lanka
thereafter, Vibhishana renounced all his
possessions and, rising into the sky,
proceeded straight to the spot where Rama
and Lakshmana were encamped. Four
good Rakshasa friends went along with
him.



Next :64. THE VANARA'S DOUBT


Continues....