Summary
Ravana refuses to hear the words of Vibhishana and rebukes [criticize sharply] him with harsh words. Vibhishana gets angry and sets off, to leave Ravana.
Chapter [Sarga] 16 in Detail
sunivistam hitam vaakyam uktavantam vibhiisanam |
abraviit parusam vaakyam raavanah kaala coditah || 6-16-1
Ravana, goaded by death, spoke the following harsh words to Vibhishana, who was very stable and who had spoken wholesome words:
vaset saha sapatnena kruddhena aashii visena ca |
na tu mitra pravaadena samvascchatrunaa saha || 6-16-2
“One can stay together with an enemy or even with a furious snake, but one cannot stay together with an adversary yet avowing himself as a friend"
jaanaami shiilam jnaatiinaam sarva lokesu raaksasa |
hrisyanti vyasanesvete jnaatiinaam jnaatayah sadaa || 6-16-3
“O, demon! I know the conduct of kinsmen in all the worlds. These kinsmen always are rejoiced at the calamities of their kinsmen”
pradhaanam saadhakam vaidyam dharma shiilam ca raaksasa |
jnaatayo hyanamanyante shuuram paribhavanti ca || 6-16-4
“O, demon! The kinsmen indeed insult and even humiliate their kinsman, who is an effective leader, a person of education and right conduct and a valiant man.”
nityam anyonya samhristaa vyasanesvaatataayinah |
pracchanna hridayaa ghoraa jnaatayas tu bhaya aavahaah || 6-16-5
“The horrible kinsmen with their concealed thoughts and treacherous minds, terrific ones as they are, always rejoice each other in adversities.”
shruuyante hastibhir giitaah shlokaah padma vane puraa |
paasha hastaan naraan dristvaa shrinu taan gadato mama || 6-16-6
“Previously in a forest called Padmavana, some maxims were spoken by elephants, which saw men with nooses in hand. Hear and I shall tell them.”
naagnirnaanyaani shastraani na nah paashaa bhayaavahaah |
ghoraah svaarthaprayuktaastu jnaatayo no bhayaavahaah || 6-16-7
“For us, fire or weapons or nooses are not begetting fear. The terrific kinsmen, incited by selfishness are begetting fear to us.”
upaayamete vaksyanti grahane naatrasamshayah |
kritsnaad bhayaajjnaatibhayam sukastam viditam ca nah || 6-16-8
“These kinsmen will inform the strategy to our enemies to seize us. There is no doubt about this. Out of all fears, the fear of kinsmen is very much troublesome for us. It is a well known thing.”
vidyate gosu sampannam vidyate jjnaatito bhayam |
vidyate striisu caapalyam vidyate jnaatito bhayam || 6-16-9
“There is wealth in cows. There is fear for kinsmen. There is fickleness in women. There is austerity in Brahmins.”
tato nestam idam saumya yadaham loka satkritah |
aishvaryam abhijaatah ca ripuunaam muurdhni ca sthitah || 6-16-10
“O, gentleman! Hence, it is not of liking to you that the people are venerating me, that I obtained riches and that I am sitting tight in the heads of enemies”.
yathaa puskarapatresu patitaastoyabindavah |
na shlesamabhigacchanti tathaanaaryesu sauhridam || 6-16-11
“As drops of water fallen on lotus leaves do not get clung to those leaves, so also a friendship does not cling to vulgar ones.”
yathaa sharadi meghaanaam sijncaataamapi garjataam |
na bhavatyamubasamkledastathaanaaryesu sauhridam || 6-16-12
“As rainy clouds in autumn, even though thundering, cannot get the earth saturated with water, so also friendship does not have tenderness of heart in vulgar people.”
yathaa madhukarastarsaadraasam vindanna tisthati |
tathaa tvamapi tatraiva tathaanaaryesu sauhridam || 6-16-13
“As a honey bee, even though getting nectar from a flower, does not stick on to that flower due to its eager desire for more, you also belong to that category as friendship does not stick on to vulgar people.”
yathaa madhukarstaraasaatkaashapuspam pibannapi |
rasamatra na vindeta tathaanaaryesu sauhridam || 6-16-14
“As even though trying to drink nectar from a flower of grass, a honey bee cannot get it, so also friendship cannot be extracted from vulgar persons.”
yathaa puurvam gajah snaatvaa grihya hastena vai rajah |
duusayatyaatmano deham tathaanaaryesu sauhridam || 6-16-15
“How an elephant abuses its body by helping itself with dust after taking bath earlier with its trunk, friendship gets an abuse in vulgar persons in the same manner.”
yo.anyastvevamvidham bruuyaad vaakyametannishaacara |
asmin muhuurte na bhavet tvaam tu dhik kulapaamsanam || 6-16-16
“O, demon, walking about by night! If any other person utters these words in this manner, he will be ceasing to exit at this moment. O, destroyer of race! A curse upon you!”
itiuktah parusam vaakyam nyaayavaadii vibhiisanah |
utpapaata gadaapaanihcaturbhih saha raaksasaih || 6-16-17
Hearing those harsh words from Ravana, Vibhishana who advocates justice, wielding a mace in his hand, soared high into the sky, along with four other demons.
abraviicca tadaa vaakyam jaatakrodho vibhiisanah |
antariksagatah shriimaan bhraataram raaksasa adhipam || 6-16-18
Then, the illustrious Vibhishana who became angry also spoke these words to king Ravana, his brother after moving into the sky.
sa tvam bhraataa asi me raajan bruuhi maam yad yad icchasi |
jyestho maanyah pitrisamo na ca dharmapathe sthitah || 6-16-19
idam tu parusam vaakyam na ksamaami anritam tava |
“O, king! You are a brother to me. You utter whatever you like. Elder brother is like a father. Even if he is not staying in a right path, he is to be respected. But I cannot forbear these harsh words from you.”
suniitam hita kaamena vaakyam uktam dasha aanana || 6-16-20
na grihnanti akrita aatmaanah kaalasya vashamaagataah |
“Those who have an ill composed mind and who get conceded to the occasion do not assimilate the words of prudence, spoken by a well wisher.”
sulabhaah purusaa raajan satatam priya vaadinah || 6-16-21
apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktaa shrotaa ca durlabhah |
“O, king! Men who forever speak pleasing words are easy to be obtained. But one who speaks of useful but unpleasing words as also the one who listens to them, are rare to be obtained”
baddham kaalasya paashena sarva bhuuta apahaarinaa || 6-16-22
na nashyantam upekseyam pradiiptam sharanam yathaa |
“I could not ignore you, being destroyed by the noose of Yama (god of death); tied around you and which snatches away all beings, as none can ignore a burning house.”
diipta paavaka samkaashaih shitaih kaancana bhuusanaih || 6-16-23
na tvaam icchaami aham drastum raamena nihatam sharaih |
“I do not wish to see you, being killed by Rama with his sharp arrows, adorned with gold and each resembling like a blazing fire.”
shuuraah ca balavantah ca krita astraah ca nara aajire || 6-16-24
kaala abhipannaa siidanti yathaa vaaluka setavah |
“Persons who are valiant, strong and skilled in weaponry, when time comes, sink down (ruin) as a dam constructed with sand sinks down.”
tanarsayatu yaccoktam gurutvaaddhitamicchataa || 6-16-25
aatmaanam sarvathaa raksa puriim ca imaam saraaksasaam |
svasti te astu gamisyaami sukhii bhava mayaa vinaa || 6-16-26
“As an elder brother, bear the words spoken by me, who desire your welfare. Guard this city and yourself along with demons, by all means. Let all be well with you. I am departing. Be a happy person without me.”
nivaaryamaanasya mayaa hita esinaa |
na rocate te vacanam nishaa cara |
pariita kaalaa hi gata aayuso naraa |
hitam na grihnanti suhridbhir iiritam || 6-16-27
“O, Ravana the ranger of the night! My words are not relishing to you, who are being restrained by me duly desiring your welfare. Persons whose duration of life is to end, do not accept the salutary words spoken by their well wishers”
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye yuddhakaande sodashah sargah
Thus completes 16th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate