Shloka 5.52.23

दूतधर्म-परामर्शः (Envoy-Immunity and Royal Counsel in Ravana’s Court)

Devanagari script

अस्मिन्विनष्टे न हि वीरमन्यं पश्यामि यस्तौ वरराजपुत्रौ।युद्धाय युद्धप्रियदुर्विनीतावुद्योजयेद्धीर्घपथावरुद्धौ।।।।

Transliteration

asmin vinaṣṭe na hi vīram anyaṁ paśyāmi yas tau vara-rāja-putrau | yuddhāya yuddha-priya-durvinītāv udyojayed dīrgha-pathāvaruddhau ||

Translation

If he is destroyed, I truly see no other capable warrior who could spur those two princes—war-loving and ill-disciplined—to war, when they are checked by the long distance of the route.

Context

"O lover of war! if Hanuman is slain I do not see any one who can incite those two ill-mannered sons of the king who are prevented from reaching this far-off land.

Characters & Entities

• Vibhīṣaṇa
• Rāvaṇa
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Hanumān (implied as the inciter/messenger)
• mahā-udadhi (implied by the long route)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Actions have moral and strategic consequences: killing a messenger can escalate conflict by removing channels of negotiation and by triggering determined retaliation.

What is the narrative situation?

Vibhīṣaṇa warns that Hanumān is pivotal in communicating and energizing Rāma’s side; eliminating him may change the war dynamics in unpredictable ways.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Farsighted counsel—Vibhīṣaṇa evaluates second-order effects rather than immediate satisfaction.