Shloka 40
मारीचाश्रमगमनम्
Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage
तं स्वयं पूजयित्वा तु भोजनेनोदकेन च।अर्थोपहितया वाचा मारीचो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।।।
taṃ svayaṃ pūjayitvā tu bhojanenodakena ca |
arthopahitayā vācā mārīco vākyam abravīt ||
Nachdem Mārīca ihn selbst mit Speise und Wasser geehrt hatte, sprach er zu ihm Worte, die von Absicht getragen waren.
Thus ordered, the smart charioteer got the chariot of his choice harnessed in an instant.
FAQs
Speech should be artha-yukta—truthful and purposeful. The Ramayana repeatedly treats vāṇī (speech) as a moral instrument that can uphold dharma or enable adharma.
Hospitality concludes and the dialogue begins; Mārīca prepares to question Rāvaṇa’s sudden arrival.
Measured, meaningful speech—communication that is not idle but directed toward understanding motives and circumstances.