Rāmāyana | Yuddha Kaṇḍa | Chapter 16
16. Rāvaṇa Talks Harshly to Vibhīṣaṇa
[Rāvaṇa shouts at Vibhīṣaṇa and calls him as a traitor. Unable to tolerate this Vibhīṣaṇa decides to desert him.]
Hearing the words of Vibhīṣaṇa which were stable, suitable and aimed at welfare, Rāvaṇa driven by the God of death spoke these harsh words. 16.1
"One can live with an enemy and even a very poisonous snake but cannot live with an enemy who is taking like a friend." 16.2
"Oh Rākṣasa, I know about the behaviour of all men belonging to our clan and all these men of the clan rejoice at the bad luck of the members of their own clan." 16.3
"Oh Rākṣasa, the people of the clan insult and humiliate the members of their own clan who is a great leader, an educated one, a person following Dharma and one who is valorous." 16.4
"These horrible members of our own clan have concealed thoughts and treacherous minds and these bad ones rejoice at the sufferings of the members of their own clan." 16.5
"Please hear the musical verses spoken by elephants in Padmavana long ago, when they saw men holding noose in their hands." 16.6
"To us fire, noose or weapons do not cause any fear but the horrifying people our clan driven by selfishness definitely causes fear." 16.7
"These people our clan without any doubt will inform our strategy to our enemies enabling them to catch us and so it is well known that fear of people of our clan is greatest to us." 16.8
"In cow there is wealth, in members of our clan there is fear, in ladies there is fickleness and there is austerity among Brahmins." 16.9
"Oh soft one, people are venerating me not because they like you and I obtained all these riches by sitting tight on head of my enemies." 16.10
"Just like drops of water falling on the leaves of lotus does not cling to it, the friendship with ungentle people does not last long." 16.11
"Though the clouds of autumn makes roaring sounds, it cannot wet the earth and like that the friendship with ungentle people does not last." 16.12
"Like the honeybee drinking honey does not stick to it due to desire for more, you also are one who does not stick to friendship." 16.13
"Like a honey bee cannot drink honey from the flower of grass, friendship and love cannot be extracted from ungentle people." 16.14
"Like an elephant dirtying itself pouring on itself dust by its trunk after its bath, the friendship with ungentle people gets dirtied like that." 16.15
"Oh person moving at night, if these words had been uttered by someone else, he would cease to exist in a moment, oh breaker of our clan, a curse on you." 16.16
When these harsh words were heard by Vibhīṣaṇa who was a man of justice, armed with a mace and four of his assistant Rākṣasas, he soared in to the sky. 16.17
Vibhīṣaṇa who was greatly angered, after rising in to the sky spoke these words to his brother who was the king of Rākṣasas. 16.18
"Oh king you are my elder brother and so please say whatever you like, for according to Dharma an elder brother is equivalent to our own father but I am not able to tolerate these harsh words from you." 16.19
"Oh ten faced one, I spoke to you proper words aimed at your welfare but one with a ill composed mind cannot understand words spoken by a well-wisher." 16.20
"It is easy to get people who always speak the words that you love, but those people who speak proper words which are not pleasing are difficult to find." 16.21
"All beings are dragged away tied by the noose of God of death but I am not able to save you as you are in the house that is burning." 16.22
"I do not want to see you killed by Rāma using his deadly arrows, which are like flaming fire decorated with gold." 16.23
"Persons who are strong and valiant and who are skilled in use of weapons, when the proper time comes sink down like a dam constructed on sand." 16.24
"As an elder brother, please bear with my words spoken to you desiring your welfare. Please take care of yourself, the city and its Rākṣasas, Be safe. I am going away,. Become happy because of my absence." 16.25-16.26
"Oh person moving at night, Due to my desire for your welfare, I might have used words restraining you and you might not have liked them. This is because persons who near their end do not accept the advice of well-wishers." 16.27
This is the end of Sixteenth Sarga of Yuddha Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.