Canto 52
Placates the Sibling
In rage Ravan then ordered
Hanuman be to put to death.
Stood up Vibhishan in dismay
The sibling fair of Lankan king.
To stall the folly of the court
Pleaded Vibhishan with Ravan.
To set Ravan in right frame
Praised his sibling him to skies.
Heed me learned king Ravan
Fair it’s none to kill Hanuman.
Kill if we one on errand
Don’t all we earn infamy?
Remind none thee O learned
It’s not how the king should act.
Swayed if thou by thine anger
What would come of thy learning?
Thus O Ravan unrivalled
Better be prudent in thy act.
Words at these of his sibling
Hissed in anger then Ravan.
The way he acted mala fide
It’s no ill to kill Hanuman.
Would not let go Vibhishan
Ravan on the path that’s wrong.
Won’t thee realize O learned
It’s no dharma to kill one
Brings that missive from rivals?
Brief it’s not mine to plead for
Life of one who harmed us all
But to keep up thy fair name
Deal thou with him as ordained.
Severe a limb or lash him well
That’s the way to deal with him.
It’s not wise to act in haste
Calm down so my great sibling.
Is there any better than thee
Knows who dharma in theory
Nuances as well in practice?
Valour with thine unrivalled
Conquer did thou all three worlds.
High such being thy position
Why let act such lower that?
Uphold honour of Lanka
Not by killing this vanar
But by slaying Ram who sent
Him to act in foul manner.
How this vanar on errand
Could have acted on his own
Without the goading of his Lord?
Were he to be freed by thee
Fetch he would then his masters
Itching to land on our shores
For thee to see the end of them.
Falls if Rama at thy feet
Bites as and when he the dust
It’s then but gods would realize
How thou made all cowards of them.
With thy penchant to conquer
Were thee to slay this vanar now
Would thou lose the chance of life
To slay that Ram ’n Lakshman too
For they fail to come to know
Made thou captive Seetha thus.
To slay vanar hordes are all
Itching are our men at arms,
Slay if thee but one vanar
Won’t thou deprive them their chance?
So to let our foes to know
To face us death is no less scared
Force we may all foes to show
Backs of theirs in battlefield.
Takes it no more than a score
Of our men to settle all scores
With Ram ’n Lakshman if they dare
Ever to set foot on our shores.
Averred as thus his own sibling
Changed his mind then king Ravan
To kill Hanuman lay there tied.
Interested may hear the author's audio rendition of Ravan's encounter with Seetha https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MeNFFaLxqw&t=336s
