Shloka 11
विभीषणोपदेशे रावणस्य परुषवाक्यम्
Ravana’s Harsh Reply to Vibhishana’s Counsel
यथापुष्करपत्रेषुपतितास्तोयबिन्दवः ।नश्लेषमभिगच्छन्तितथाऽनार्येषुसङ्गतम् ।।।।
yathā puṣkara-patreṣu patitās toya-bindavaḥ | na śleṣam abhigacchanti tathā 'nāryeṣu saṅgatam || 6.16.11 ||
Wie Wassertropfen, die auf Lotusblätter fallen, nicht haften bleiben, so führt auch der Umgang mit Unedlen zu keiner wahren Bindung und keiner dauerhaften Freundschaft.
"Just as drops of water that fall on lotus leaves do not adhere to each other, like wise however long you spend with an unworthy (relative) one, good friendship does not take place."
FAQs
The teaching (though spoken harshly) aligns with a nīti idea: lasting friendship requires virtue; without dharmic character, association remains superficial and unreliable.
Rāvaṇa insults Vibhīṣaṇa by implying that no genuine bond forms with the ‘unworthy,’ using a lotus-leaf simile.
By contrast, the epic values steadfast friendship grounded in virtue and truth; the verse highlights how contempt and pride corrode kinship.