Shloka 9
मायाशिरोप्रदर्शनम्
The Display of the Illusory Head of Rāma
एवमुक्तस्तथेत्याहविद्युज्जिह्वोनिशाचरः ।दर्शयामासतांमायांसुप्रयुक्तांसरावणे ।।।।तस्यतुष्टोऽभवद्राजाप्रददौचविभूषणम् ।
evam uktaḥ tathety āha vidyujjihvo niśācaraḥ |
darśayāmāsa tāṃ māyāṃ suprayuktāṃ sa rāvaṇe ||
tasya tuṣṭo 'bhavad rājā pradadau ca vibhūṣaṇam |
So angesprochen, erwiderte der nächtliche Vidyujjihva: „So sei es“, und zeigte Rāvaṇa jene kunstvoll gewirkte Māyā. Der König war zufrieden und verlieh ihm ein Schmuckstück.
Thereafter, thinking about what is appropriate to do, unassailable Ravana dispensed his ministers and entered his own residence.
FAQs
It warns that rewarding wrongdoing normalizes adharma. Satya is undermined when deception is incentivized with gifts and praise.
Vidyujjihva agrees, performs the illusion, and Rāvaṇa rewards him—confirming the deception will be used against Sītā.
The verse highlights skill (kauśala) divorced from ethics—ability becomes harmful when not guided by dharma.