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 |
ഇങ്ങനെ പറയപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ നിശാചരനായ വിദ്യുജ്ജിഹ്വൻ ‘തഥാസ്തു’ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു; നന്നായി പ്രയോഗിച്ച മായയെ രാവണനു കാണിച്ചു. രാജാവ് സന്തുഷ്ടനായി അവനു ഒരു വിഭൂഷണം നൽകി.
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.