The Plantain Yields Only When the Blade Reaches Its Trunk
Sundara Kanda, Doha 58
Doha 58 · Movement 2 of 2
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Kakabhushundi turns to Garuda, lord of birds, and places the ocean's surrender within an earthy image. A plantain may be watered with tireless care, yet its fruit appears only as the trunk reaches the cutting that ends its growth.
So too, the hardened and base nature may ignore courtesy repeated a million times. Gentle appeal passes over it like water over sealed ground because it mistakes patience for inability and reverence for fear.
Firm rebuke finally makes such obstinacy bend. The maxim does not diminish Rama's first approach. It explains why the bow follows it. Compassion gave the sea three days to answer freely; power now removes the pride that prevented an answer. Only then does the ocean come carrying jewels and humility.
Where a million offerings of water fail, one flash of the blade opens the fruit.
Read the passage from the Manas
काटेहिं पइ कदरी फरइ कोटि जतन कोउ सींच। बिनय न मान खगेस सुनु डाटेहिं पइ नव नीच।।58।।
A plantain tree bears fruit only when cut down, though someone may water it with a million efforts. Listen, O lord of birds: the base do not heed courtesy. They bend only when rebuked.