Aranya Kanda, Sarga 41

आज्ञप्तो राजवद्वाक्यं प्रतिकूलं निशाचरः। अब्रवीत्परुषं वाक्यं मारीचो राक्षसाधिपम्।।3.41.1।।

ājñapto rājavadvākyaṃ pratikūlaṃ niśācaraḥ| abravītparuṣaṃ vākyaṃ mārīco rākṣasādhipam

At this royal command which was against his interest Maracha used harsh words to the demonking:

केनायमुपदिष्टस्ते विनाशः पापकर्मणा। सपुत्रस्य सराष्ट्रस्य सामात्यस्य निशाचर।।3.41.2।।

kenāyamupadiṣṭaste vināśaḥ pāpakarmaṇā| saputrasya sarāṣṭrasya sāmātyasya niśācara

Who is that sinner who has given you this advice which will spell destruction on you, your sons, your kingdom and your ministers ?

कस्त्वया सुखिना राजन्नाभिनन्दति पापकृत्। केनेदमुपदिष्टं ते मृत्युद्वारमुपायतः।।3.41.3।।

kastvayā sukhinā rājannābhinandati pāpakṛt| kenedamupadiṣṭaṃ te mṛtyudvāramupāyataḥ

Which sinner is not able to see you happy? O king by whom is this gate of death shown to you cunningly?

शत्रवस्तव सुव्यक्तं हीनवीर्या निशाचराः। इच्छन्ति त्वां विनश्यन्तमुपरुद्धं बलीयसा।।3.41.4।।

śatravastava suvyaktaṃ hīnavīryā niśācarāḥ| icchanti tvāṃ vinaśyantamuparuddhaṃ balīyasā

This is clear that your enemy demons are now powerless. Hence they want you to be engaged with a stronger power and be destroyed.

केनेदमुपदिष्टं ते क्षुद्रेणाहितवादिना। यस्त्वामिच्छति नश्यन्तं स्वकृतेन निशाचर।।3.41.5।।

kenedamupadiṣṭaṃ te kṣudreṇāhitavādinā| yastvāmicchati naśyantaṃ svakṛtena niśācara

O Ravana by which mean fellow is this advice given against your welfare? Who wants you to be destroyed by your own action.

वध्याः खलु न हन्यन्ते सचिवास्तव रावण। ये त्वामुत्पथमारूढं न निगृह्णन्ति सर्वशः।।3.41.6।।

vadhyāḥ khalu na hanyante sacivāstava rāvaṇa| ye tvāmutpathamārūḍhaṃ na nigṛhṇanti sarvaśaḥ

O Ravana the ministers should have prevented you by all means from adopting this wrong path. Since they have not done so, they deserve to be spain.

अमात्यैः कामवृत्तो हि राजा कापथमाश्रितः। निग्राह्यस्सर्वथा सदभिर्न निग्राह्यो निगृह्यसे।।3.41.7।।

amātyaiḥ kāmavṛtto hi rājā kāpathamāśritaḥ| nigrāhyassarvathā sadabhirna nigrāhyo nigṛhyase

Good ministrers should always prevent a lustful king from taking resourse to an evil path. Why were you not stopped, even though you deserve to be checked.

धर्ममर्थं च कामं च यशश्च जयतां वर। स्वामिप्रसादात्सचिवाः प्राप्नुवन्ति निशाचर।।3.41.8।।

dharmamarthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca yaśaśca jayatāṃ vara| svāmiprasādātsacivāḥ prāpnuvanti niśācara

O Ravana the best among the successful ministers attain piety, prosperity, pleasures and fame by the grace of the king.

विपर्यये तु तत्सर्वं व्यर्थं भवति रावण। व्यसनं स्वामिवैगुण्यात्प्राप्नुवन्तीतरे जनाः।।3.41.9।।

viparyaye tu tatsarvaṃ vyarthaṃ bhavati rāvaṇa| vyasanaṃ svāmivaiguṇyātprāpnuvantītare janāḥ

Otherwise evrything will become useless, O Ravana Others will suffer calamities on account of their master's vices.

राजमूलो हि धर्मश्च जयश्च जयतां वर। तस्मात्सर्वास्ववस्थासु रक्षितव्या नराधिपाः।।3.41.10।।

rājamūlo hi dharmaśca jayaśca jayatāṃ vara| tasmātsarvāsvavasthāsu rakṣitavyā narādhipāḥ

O Ravana, the best among the victorious indeed the king is at the root of righteousness and victory.Therefore, the king should be protected by all at every stage.

राज्यं पालयितुं शक्यं न तीक्ष्णेन निशाचर। न चापि प्रतिकूलेन नाविनीतेन राक्षस।।3.41.11।।

rājyaṃ pālayituṃ śakyaṃ na tīkṣṇena niśācara| na cāpi pratikūlena nāvinītena rākṣasa

O nightwalking demon a kingdom cannnot be governed by a king who is rude or hostile or impolite.

ये तीक्ष्णमन्त्रास्सचिवा भज्यन्ते सह तेन वै। विषमे तुरगा श्शीघ्रा मन्दसारथयो यथा।।3.41.12।।

ye tīkṣṇamantrāssacivā bhajyante saha tena vai| viṣame turagā śśīghrā mandasārathayo yathā

Ministers who adopt improper strategies go down along with the king just like swift horses driven by a slow charioteer on a rugged terrain.

बहवस्साधवो लोके युक्ता धर्ममनुष्ठिताः। परेषामपराधेन विनष्टास्सपरिच्छदाः।।3.41.13।।

bahavassādhavo loke yuktā dharmamanuṣṭhitāḥ| pareṣāmaparādhena vinaṣṭāssaparicchadāḥ

Persons who walk the righteous path go down in this world along with their kith and kin due to the mistakes committed by others .

स्वामिना प्रतिकूलेन प्रजास्तीक्ष्णेन रावण। रक्ष्यमाणा न वर्धन्ते मेषा गोमायुना यथा।।3.41.14।।

svāminā pratikūlena prajāstīkṣṇena rāvaṇa| rakṣyamāṇā na vardhante meṣā gomāyunā yathā

O Ravana, people who are ruled by a cruel and hostile king will not grow like the sheep protected by a jackal.

अवश्यं विनशिष्यन्ति सर्वे रावण राक्षसाः। येषां त्वं कर्कशो राजा दुर्बुद्धिरजितेन्द्रियः।।3.41.15।।

avaśyaṃ vinaśiṣyanti sarve rāvaṇa rākṣasāḥ| yeṣāṃ tvaṃ karkaśo rājā durbuddhirajitendriyaḥ

Under a rude, crooked king whose senses are not under his control the demons will surely perish.

तदिदं काकतालीयं घोरमासादितं मया। अत्र किं शोचनीयस्त्वं ससैन्यो विनशिष्यसि।।3.41.16।।

tadidaṃ kākatālīyaṃ ghoramāsāditaṃ mayā| atra kiṃ śocanīyastvaṃ sasainyo vinaśiṣyasi

I am faced with this dreadful disaster accidentally. You will not only be in a miserable state because of your misdeeds, you will perish along with your army.

मां निहत्य तु रामश्च न चिरात्त्वां वधिष्यति। अनेन कृतकृत्योऽस्मि म्रियेयमरिणा हतः।।3.41.17।।

māṃ nihatya tu rāmaśca na cirāttvāṃ vadhiṣyati| anena kṛtakṛtyo'smi mriyeyamariṇā hataḥ

Rama will kill you not long after killing me.Hence even if I die in the hands of the enemy, my desire will be fulfilled.

दर्शनादेव रामस्य हतं मामवधारय। आत्मानं च हतं विद्धि हृत्वा सीतां सबान्धवम्।।3.41.18।।

darśanādeva rāmasya hataṃ māmavadhāraya| ātmānaṃ ca hataṃ viddhi hṛtvā sītāṃ sabāndhavam

Yu most understand that if I die at the very sight of Rama, you along with your relatives will perish with the abduction of Sita.

आनयिष्यसि चेत्सीतामाश्रमात्सहितो मया। नैवत्वमसि नाहं च नैव लङ्का न राक्षसाः।।3.41.19।।

ānayiṣyasi cetsītāmāśramātsahito mayā| naivatvamasi nāhaṃ ca naiva laṅkā na rākṣasāḥ

If you bring Sita from the hermitage with my assistance, know that none of us will surviveyou nor I, nor Lanka , nor the demons.

निवार्यमाणस्तु मया हितैषिणा न मृष्यसे वाक्यमिदं निशाचर। परेतकल्पा हि गतायुषो नरा हितं न गृह्णन्ति सुहृद्भिरीरितम्।।3.41.20।।

nivāryamāṇastu mayā hitaiṣiṇā na mṛṣyase vākyamidaṃ niśācara| paretakalpā hi gatāyuṣo narā hitaṃ na gṛhṇanti suhṛdbhirīritam

O Ravana, you do not understand this word of warning coming from your wellwisher. Men who are going to die do not heed the advice given by their friends. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे एकचत्वारिंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fortyfirst sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.