Commanded so by Ravana, harshly, as a king, Maricha, fearless, speaks harsh words to the lord of the rakshasas: “Who has taught you this destruction of yourself, with your sons, your kingdom and your ministers, a wicked deed, night-ranger? What evil-doer does not rejoice in your happiness, king? Who has shown you this door of death as a stratagem? Clearly your enemies, weak in valour, night-ranger, want to see you destroyed, crushed by one stronger. Who, petty and ill-meaning, taught you this, wishing you to perish by your own act, night-ranger? Your ministers ought to be killed, Ravana, and are not, who do not restrain you in every way when you have taken a wrong path. A king acting from desire and taking the wrong road must be restrained by good ministers in every way; you, who must be restrained, are not held back. By their master’s favour, best of victors, ministers gain dharma, wealth, pleasure and fame, night-ranger; in the opposite case, all of it is useless, Ravana, and other people meet calamity through their master’s fault. For dharma and fame have the king as their root, best of victors; so kings must be protected in every state. A kingdom cannot be ruled by one who is harsh, night-ranger, nor by one who opposes everyone, nor by one undisciplined, rakshasa. Ministers of harsh counsel are destroyed together with him, like chariots with slow charioteers on rough ground. Many good people in the world, devoted to dharma, have perished with their households through the wrongs of others. Subjects protected by a hostile, harsh master do not prosper, Ravana, any more than sheep guarded by a jackal. Surely all the rakshasas will perish, Ravana, whose king you are, harsh, of bad judgement, your senses unconquered. This terrible thing has come upon me by chance, like the crow and the palm fruit; in this, you are to be pitied: you will perish with your army. Having killed me, that Rama will soon kill you. With that I have done my part: I die killed by an enemy. Know me killed at the very sight of Rama; and know yourself killed, with your kin, once you carry off Sita. If you bring Sita from the hermitage together with me, neither you nor I, nor Lanka, nor the rakshasas will remain. Though warned by me, who wish you well, you do not accept these words, night-ranger. Men whose life is spent, already like the dead, do not take the good advice their friends give.”
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