Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 10, Shloka 12
विभीषणोपदेशः
Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana and the Catalogue of Omens
सरावणंमहात्मानंविजनेमन्त्रिसन्निधौ ।उवाचहितमत्यर्थंवचनंहेतुनिश्चितम् ।।।।
sa rāvaṇaṃ mahātmānaṃ vijane mantrisannidhau | uvāca hitam atyarthaṃ vacanaṃ hetuniścitām ||
મંત્રીઓની હાજરીમાં, અન્ય સૌ દૂર થયા ત્યારે, વિભીષણે મહાત્મા રાવણને હિતકારી, અત્યંત કલ્યાણકારી અને યુક્તિથી નિશ્ચિત વચન કહ્યું.
When none other than ministers were present, Vibheeshana spoke these meaningful words to the distinguished Ravana, decidedly wishing for welfare.
FAQs
Dharma here is the duty to offer truthful, welfare-oriented counsel—speech that is both beneficial (hita) and rational (hetu-niścita), even when power may resist it.
In Laṅkā, Vibhīṣaṇa chooses a controlled setting—privacy with ministers present—to deliver serious counsel to Rāvaṇa.
Vibhīṣaṇa’s prudence and moral courage: he speaks with reasoned clarity and aims at the king’s welfare rather than flattery.
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