Maricha Chooses Rama's Arrow over Ravana's Hand
Aranya Kanda, Chaupai 24
Doha 26 · Movement 1 of 3
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Maricha urges Ravana to return home and consider the welfare of his lineage. The king burns with anger and answers with abuse. He mocks the warning as though a fool were lecturing him like a guru and demands to know what warrior in the world can equal him. In that outburst Maricha understands that welfare never comes from opposing nine dangerous kinds: an armed man, one who knows secrets, a powerful master, a wicked fool, a wealthy man, a physician, a bard, a poet, and a skilled cook.
Death now waits on both roads. Refuse Ravana, and the wretched king will kill him at once. Obey, and Rama's arrow will find him in the forest. Maricha turns his mind toward Raghunayaka's refuge. If death is certain, why should he not die beneath the shaft of Raghupati? The terror that made him see Rama everywhere begins to transform into an unbroken love for Rama's feet.
He sets out beside the ten headed king, concealing the great joy within him. Ravana sees an accomplice moving toward deception. Maricha sees the road to his supreme beloved. He will behold Rama again, not as a distant memory carried by fear, but standing alive in the forest with bow in hand.
Ravana thinks Maricha follows his command, while Maricha secretly travels toward Rama's feet.
Read the passage from the Manas
जाहु भवन कुल कुसल बिचारी। सुनत जरा दीन्हिसि बहु गारी।। गुरु जिमि मूढ़ करसि मम बोधा। कहु जग मोहि समान को जोधा।। तब मारीच हृदयँ अनुमाना। नवहि बिरोधें नहिं कल्याना।। सस्त्री मर्मी प्रभु सठ धनी। बैद बंदि कबि भानस गुनी।। उभय भाँति देखा निज मरना। तब ताकिसि रघुनायक सरना।। उतरु देत मोहि बधब अभागें। कस न मरौं रघुपति सर लागें।। अस जियँ जानि दसानन संगा। चला राम पद प्रेम अभंगा।। मन अति हरष जनाव न तेही। आजु देखिहउँ परम सनेही।।
Go home and consider the welfare of your clan. Hearing this, the aged Ravana heaped many harsh rebukes upon him. You instruct me like a guru lecturing a fool! Tell me, who in all this world is a warrior equal to me? Then Maricha understood in his heart: there is no kalyaan in opposing the Lord. A wise counselor, a learned master, a wealthy fool, a physician, a bard, a poet, a skilled cook. Seeing his own death approaching from both sides, he turned at last toward the sharana of Raghunayaka. If I give him an answer, this wretch will kill me here. Why not die instead by the arrow of Raghupati? Knowing this in his heart, he set out with the ten-headed one, his prema for Rama's feet unbroken. Great joy surged within him, yet he revealed nothing to Ravana. Today I shall behold my supreme beloved!