Shloka 17
विभीषणोपदेशः
Vibhishana’s Counsel to Ravana and the Catalogue of Omens
गवांसयांसिस्कन्नानिविमदावीरकुञ्जराः ।दीनमश्वाःप्रहेषन्तेनचग्रासाभिनन्दिनः ।।।।
gavāṃ payāṃsi skannāni vimadā vīrakuñjarāḥ | dīnam aśvāḥ praheṣante na ca grāsābhinandinaḥ ||
പശുക്കളുടെ പാൽ വറ്റിപ്പോയി; അഭിമാനമുള്ള യുദ്ധകുഞ്ജരങ്ങളുടെ മദം ശമിച്ചു; കുതിരകൾ ദീനമായി കിണുങ്ങുന്നു, അവയ്ക്ക് തീറ്റയിലും ഇനി ആനന്ദമില്ല.
"The udder of cows is dried up, the proud elephants have lost their ichor, the horses are pathetic and neighing. They are not even interested in fodder."
FAQs
A ruler’s adharma harms the whole realm: even animals and prosperity decline, indicating that governance must align with righteousness.
Vibhīṣaṇa points to failing vitality in livestock and war-animals as a sign of Laṅkā’s impending calamity.
Compassionate realism: he highlights suffering across the kingdom to urge corrective action.