Chapter 17 - Words of the leading Monkeys regarding Bibishana

Having spoken thus severely to Ravana, Bibishana went away and almost immediately reached the place where Rama and Lakshmana were.

Resembling the peak of Mount Meru, like a flash of lightning in the sky, he was seen by the leaders of the monkeys who were stationed on the ground.

Accompanied by four titans of renowned courage, furnished with armour and arrows, adorned with marvellous jewels, he resembled a mass of cloud, the equal of the God who wields the Thunderbolt and that hero was bearing excellent weapons and was covered with celestial gems.

Beholding him with his four companions, Sugriva, the sagacious King of the Monkeys, who was invincible, standing amidst his forces became thoughtful and, after reflecting a moment, addressed the monkeys with Hanuman and others anxiously, saying:—

“Without doubt, this titan, armed with weapons and accompanied by four of his kind, is coming to slay us!”

Hearing these words of Sugriva, all the leading monkeys brandishing great trees and rocks, said to him:—

“Do you speedily order us to slay these evil doers, O King 1 Let us strike these weaklings down so that they fall on the earth!”

As they were speaking thus, Bibishana, who was master of himself, had reached the northern shore and halting there, that highly intelligent and powerful titan, who was fully selfsubdued, on perceiving Sugriva and the monkeys, said aloud to them:—

“Ravana is the name of a wicked titan and their lord, and I am his younger brother, my name is Bibishana. It is Ravana who, having killed Jatayu, carried off Sita from Janasthana. That unfortunate one is held captive against her will amidst the female titans who guard her jealously. I have tried to persuade them by diverse arguments, continually repeated, to return Sita to Rama but Ravana impelled by fate will not listen to my sage advice. Reviled by him and treated like a slave, I, abandoning my consort and my son, have come to take refuge with Rama. Do you inform the high-souled Raghava, that magnanimous protector of the worlds, that I, Bibishana, have come hither.”

At these words, the swift-footed Sugriva, full of indignation, ran to find Rama and, in the presence of Lakshmana, said to him:—

“Having belonged to Ravana’s forces, here is an adversary taking us unawares, who without warning has come hither to shy us at the first opportunity, like an owl destroying crows! You knowest all concerning the plans, organization, distribution of troops and the secret service of the monkeys, as also of your foes, O You who art their scourge! May good betide You! These titans, who are able to change their forms at will, conceal their designs; they are bold and inventive in strategy, assuredly one may not trust them!

“This must be an emissary of the Lord of the Titans who, undoubtedly has come to sow dissension amongst us or to discover our weak points; having first gained our confidence by craft, he himself intends to attack us one day. Assistance that is provided by a friend or an inhabitant of the woods like ourselves or by a compatriot or a servant, may be accepted but one should eschew that offered by a foe, O Lord! This deserter who has come to us is a titan by nature and the brother of thine adversary, how can we trust him on first sight? He is Bibishana, the younger brother of Ravana and he has come with four titans to ask for your protection. Nay, it is Ravana who has sent this Bibishana; it is essential that you satisfy thyself regarding him, O You, the most circumspect of persons! This titan of deceitful soul has come hither for the purpose of treacherously striking you down when you dost least expect it, O Irreproachable Hero! Let him and his confederates die in extreme torture, this brother of the wicked Ravana!”

Having given vent to his fury in the presence of the eloquent Rama, the King of the Monkeys, a skilled orator, became silent!

Hearing Sugriva’s words, the mighty Rama said to the monkeys headed by Hanuman who stood near:—

“You have heard for yourselves what your Sovereign has expressed in judicious words of deep significance regarding the younger brother of Ravana; in times of crisis one should always receive the counsel of one who desires the welfare of his friends, and who is intelligent and prudent.”

Thus addressed by Rama, all those monkeys, ardently desiring his success, hastened to express their opinion, saying:—

“Nothing is unknown to you in the Three Worlds, O Raghava; it is in deference to us that you dost consult us as friends! You are loyal, brave, pious, established in heroism and dost act only after you have considered the matter in accord with tradition with full confidence in your friends. Let all the intelligent and experienced ministers debate this matter thoroughly, each in his turn.”

Thus spoke those monkeys and first the sagacious Angada suggested to Raghava that he should enquire into Bibishana’s intentions, saying:—

“One should sound a deserter who presents himself in every way. It would not befit us to put full trust in Bibishana at once. It is in concealing their real nature that these perfidious beings act, and further they attack unexpectedly, which would prove fatal to us. Examine him to discover what is right or wrong before taking any decision and, if it prove to our advantage, form an alliance with him; if to our disadvantage, reject it. If it be fraught with danger, then renounce it, but if it should bring us real benefit, let us give him a fitting welcome!”

Thereafter Sharabha, having reflected awhile, gave his opinion, revealing his motives, saying:—

“Without delay, O Lion among Men, send out a spy and, having by means of a wary agent, undertaken a thorough investigation, deal with him in a suitable manner.”

Then Jambavan, inspired by his knowledge of the scriptures and his own experience, expressed himself in irreproachable and lucid terms saying:—

“Bibishana has come to us from a declared enemy, the wicked Lord of the Titans, and he has arrived here without any regard for time and place; let us be on our guard against him!”

In bis turn, Mainda, skilled in the matter of truth and error, a fluent speaker, uttered these prudent words:—

“Bibishana is the younger brother of Ravana, let us interrogate him gently and progressively, O King of Kings! When you have informed thyself of his feelings, then act according to whether his intentions are honest or no, O Prince of Men!”

Thereafter, Hanuman, the foremost of beings versed in the scriptures, spoke in sweet accents in words fraught with integrity, saying:—

“Even Bibishana himself cannot excel you who art of an exalted intellect and the foremost of those skilled in speech. It is not from a desire to speak nor out of emulation nor a sense of superiority nor from a love of debate that I open my mouth, O my Lord Rama, but on account of the importance of the matter in hand. That which your counsellors have said seems to me erroneous and the real question does not lie there. If one does not interrogate this titan, it is impossible to discover why he has come hither but to make use of him has its disadvantages also. Concerning the sending out of a spy to make investigations as your minister advises, I regard it as unwise nor will it succeed. It has been said that Bibishana had no regard for time and place when he came hither, I reserve my judgment here; it appears to me that the time and place are appropriate, his fault or merit consists in leaving one for another. Knowing the wickedness of Ravana and your true value, Bibishana has, by his arrival, shown his tact and intelligence. Further it was said, O Prince, ‘Let emissaries in disguise question him’ and this speech suggested several thoughts to me. He who is suddenly interrogated, if he be wise, becomes cautious and refuses to speak; the most amiable of those, who come as friends, will change after such an useless enquiry. It is not possible, O King, to discover the character of a stranger immediately but only after frequent conversations when words may escape him that will betray any perfidy. The speech of this titan does not indicate an evil nature and further he has an open countenance and I have no doubts concerning him. He is in no way embarrassed and is master of himself, he does not appear to be a knave. His language is not that of a perverse being and I do not feel any suspicion regarding him. Inevitably people’s real nature is only gradually revealed. When an undertaking is suited to the time and place, O Most experienced of Men, and it is a practical proposition, it will meet with speedy success. Bibishana is aware of your magnanimity and also of Ravana’s baseness. He has heard of the slaying of Bah and the crowning of Sugriva and what is more he has a desire to rule the kingdom! If this is what has determined him to come hither and these are apparently his motives, then this is what his alliance is worth to us. I have said what I had to say to prove the upright character of this titan; you have listened to me and the rest depends on you, O Prince of the Wise.”