Shloka 3
राक्षसपरिषद्वाक्यम्
Counsel of the Rakshasa Court to Ravana
इत्युक्ताराक्षसेन्द्रेणराक्षसास्तेमहाबलाः ।ऊचुःप्रान्जलयःसर्वेरावणंराक्षसेश्वरम् ।।।।द्विषत्पक्षमविज्ञायनीतिबाह्यास्त्वबुद्धयः ।
ity uktā rākṣasendreṇa rākṣasās te mahābalāḥ |
ūcuḥ prāñjalayaḥ sarve rāvaṇaṃ rākṣaseśvaram |
dviṣat-pakṣam avijñāya nīti-bāhyās tv abuddhayaḥ ||6.7.3||
Assim, interpelados pelo senhor dos rākṣasas, aqueles rākṣasas poderosos —sem conhecer o lado do inimigo e alheios à reta arte de governar— falaram a Rāvaṇa, soberano dos rākṣasas, com as mãos postas em súplica.
The Lord of Rakshasas having spoken like that, to the Rakshasas, who were very strong, but ignorant about the enemy's strength and who were not endowed with political wisdom, spoke to Ravana, the king of Rakshasas, the following words with folded hands.
FAQs
Dharma in governance requires nīti (wise counsel) grounded in truth; advisors who do not understand the opponent and lack policy-wisdom lead a ruler toward adharma and ruin.
The narrator introduces the rākṣasa council’s response to Rāvaṇa, characterizing their counsel as politically unwise and strategically ignorant.
The virtue emphasized is nīti-jñāna (political and ethical discernment) by contrast—its absence is explicitly stated.