# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 35 — Mārīca’s warning *He corrects Rāvaṇa’s account of Rāma’s exile, praises Rāma’s character and urges consultation before a plan that could destroy Laṅkā* Portion: The abduction plan and Mārīca’s warnings · Verses: 23 · Ref format: 3.35. ## Sequence - Mārīca says that pleasant advisers are easy to find, but people willing to speak or hear an unpleasant truth are rare (35.1–2) - he warns that Rāvaṇa does not understand Rāma and may destroy Laṅkā and the entire rākṣasa people through his recklessness (35.3–7) - he corrects Rāvaṇa's account: Rāma was not expelled for misconduct, but voluntarily honored the promise that Kaikeyī had extracted from Daśaratha (35.8–12) - he praises Rāma's character and compares abducting Sītā to seizing the sun's radiance or entering a blazing fire (35.13–19) - he warns that a confrontation would cost Rāvaṇa his life, Kingdom, and happiness (35.20) - he urges consultation with Vibhīṣaṇa and the other ministers, and an honest comparison of their own strength with Rāma's → he begins further counsel based on personal experience (35.21–23). ## Verses **3.35.1** tac chrutvā rākṣasendrasya vākyaṃ vākyaviśāradaḥ pratyuvāca mahāprājño mārīco rākṣaseśvaram Having heard that speech of the lord of rākṣasas, the greatly wise Mārīca, skilled in speech, replied to the lord of rākṣasas: **3.35.2** sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājan satataṃ priyavādinaḥ apriyasya ca pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ Easily found, O king, are men who always speak what is pleasant; but rare is one who speaks—or one who hears—what is unpleasant yet wholesome. **3.35.3** na nūnaṃ budhyase rāmaṃ mahāvīryaṃ guṇonnatam ayuktacāraś capalo mahendravaruṇopamam Surely you do not know Rāma—of great valour, exalted in virtues, a match for great Indra and Varuṇa—you whose espionage is ill-managed and who are fickle. **3.35.4** api svasti bhavet tāta sarveṣāṃ bhuvi rakṣasām api rāmo na saṃkruddhaḥ kuryāl lokam arākṣasaṃ Will there be well-being, my dear, for all the rākṣasas on earth? May Rāma, enraged, not make the world empty of rākṣasas! **3.35.5** api te jīvitāntāya notpannā janakātmajā api sītā nimittaṃ ca na bhaved vyasanaṃ mahat Has not Janaka's daughter been born to bring about your death? May not Sītā prove the cause of a great calamity? **3.35.6** api tvām īśvaraṃ prāpya kāmavṛttaṃ niraṅkuśam na vinaśyet purī laṅkā tvayā saha sarākṣasā Having got you—self-willed and unrestrained—as its lord, may the city of Laṅkā not perish, together with you and its rākṣasas! **3.35.7** tvadvidhaḥ kāmavṛtto hi duḥśīlaḥ pāpamantritaḥ ātmānaṃ svajanaṃ rāṣṭraṃ sa rājā hanti durmatiḥ For a king like you—self-willed, of evil conduct, ill-counselled, and wrong-minded—destroys himself, his own people, and his kingdom. **3.35.8** na ca pitrā parityakto nāmaryādaḥ kathaṃ cana na lubdho na ca duḥśīlo na ca kṣatriyapāṃsanaḥ Rāma was not abandoned by his father, nor is he in any way lacking in propriety; he is not greedy, nor of bad character, nor a disgrace to the kṣatriyas. **3.35.9** na ca dharmaguṇair hīnaiḥ kausalyānandavardhanaḥ na ca tīkṣṇo hi bhūtānāṃ sarveṣāṃ ca hite rataḥ Nor is the joy-increaser of Kausalyā deficient in the qualities of dharma; he is not cruel, and he delights in the welfare of all creatures. **3.35.10** vañcitaṃ pitaraṃ dṛṣṭvā kaikeyyā satyavādinam kariṣyāmīti dharmātmā tataḥ pravrajito vanam Seeing his truthful father deceived by Kaikeyī, the righteous one said, 'I shall do as promised,' and thereupon went forth to the forest. **3.35.11** kaikeyyāḥ priyakāmārthaṃ pitur daśarathasya ca hitvā rājyaṃ ca bhogāṃś ca praviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam To fulfil a dear wish of Kaikeyī and of his father Daśaratha, forsaking kingship and enjoyments, he entered the Daṇḍaka forest. **3.35.12** na rāmaḥ karkaśas tāta nāvidvān nājitendriyaḥ anṛtaṃ na śrutaṃ caiva naiva tvaṃ vaktum arhasi Rāma is not harsh, my dear, nor ignorant, nor unmastered in his senses; no falsehood of his has ever been heard—you must not speak so. **3.35.13** rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ sādhuḥ satyaparākramaḥ rājā sarvasya lokasya devānām iva vāsavaḥ Rāma is dharma itself embodied, a virtuous man of true valour; he is king of the whole world, as Vāsava (Indra) is king of the gods. **3.35.14** kathaṃ tvaṃ tasya vaidehīṃ rakṣitāṃ svena tejasā icchasi prasabhaṃ hartuṃ prabhām iva vivasvataḥ How do you wish to carry off by force his Vaidehī, guarded by his own splendour, as though (one could seize) the radiance of the sun? **3.35.15** śarārciṣam anādhṛṣyaṃ cāpakhaḍgendhanaṃ raṇe rāmāgniṃ sahasā dīptaṃ na praveṣṭuṃ tvam arhasi You must not rush headlong into the fire that is Rāma—blazing in battle, with arrows for flames, unassailable, fed by bow and sword for fuel. **3.35.16** dhanurvyāditadīptāsyaṃ śarārciṣam amarṣaṇam cāpabāṇadharaṃ vīraṃ śatrusenāpahāriṇam (That fire is) the hero—his blazing mouth gaping wide as a drawn bow, with arrows for flames, unforbearing, wielding bow and arrow, sweeper-away of enemy armies— **3.35.17** rājyaṃ sukhaṃ ca saṃtyajya jīvitaṃ ceṣṭam ātmanaḥ nātyāsādayituṃ tāta rāmāntakam ihārhasi Do not, my dear, forsaking kingship and happiness and your own dear life, go here to assail Rāma, who is Death himself. **3.35.18** aprameyaṃ hi tat tejo yasya sā janakātmajā na tvaṃ samarthas tāṃ hartuṃ rāmacāpāśrayāṃ vane Immeasurable indeed is the might of him whose wife is that daughter of Janaka; you are not able to carry her off in the forest, sheltered as she is by Rāma's bow. **3.35.19** prāṇebhyo 'pi priyatarā bhāryā nityam anuvratā dīptasyeva hutāśasya śikhā sītā sumadhyamā Dearer to him even than his life, ever devoted, his wife—slender-waisted Sītā—is like the flame of a blazing fire. **3.35.20** kim udyamaṃ vyartham imaṃ kṛtvā te rākṣasādhipa dṛṣṭaś cet tvaṃ raṇe tena tad antaṃ tava jīvitam jīvitaṃ ca sukhaṃ caiva rājyaṃ caiva sudurlabham What use is this futile effort of yours, O lord of rākṣasas? If you are seen by him in battle, that is the end of your life; and life, happiness, and kingship, once lost, are very hard to regain. **3.35.21** sa sarvaiḥ sacivaiḥ sārdhaṃ vibhīṣaṇapuraskṛtaiḥ mantrayitvā tu dharmiṣṭhaiḥ kṛtvā niścayam ātmanaḥ Having taken counsel with all your ministers—most righteous men led by Vibhīṣaṇa—and having made your own decision, **3.35.22** doṣāṇāṃ ca guṇānāṃ ca saṃpradhārya balābalam ātmanaś ca balaṃ jñātvā rāghavasya ca tattvataḥ hitaṃ hi tava niścitya kṣamaṃ tvaṃ kartum arhasi and having weighed the strength and weakness of the faults and merits, and truly known your own strength and Rāghava's, and ascertained what is good for you, you ought to do what is fitting. **3.35.23** ahaṃ tu manye tava na kṣamaṃ raṇe samāgamaṃ kosalarājasūnunā idaṃ hi bhūyaḥ śṛṇu vākyam uttamaṃ kṣamaṃ ca yuktaṃ ca niśācarādhipa But I think that an encounter in battle with the son of the Kosala king is not good for you; so hear this further excellent counsel of mine, fitting and proper, O lord of the night-rangers.