वध्याः खलु न हन्यन्ते सचिवास्तव रावण।
ये त्वामुत्पथमारूढं न निगृह्णन्ति सर्वशः॥
vadhyāḥ khalu na hanyante sacivās tava rāvaṇa
ye tvām utpatham ārūḍhaṁ na nigṛhṇanti sarvaśaḥ
vadhyāḥ = are fit to be killed; khalu = actually; na hanyante = [but you] don’t kill them; sacivāḥ = [those] assistants; tava = of yours; rāvaṇa = Rāvaṇa; ye = who; tvām = you; utpatham = a path opposed to the world and the scriptures; ārūḍham = from following; na nigṛhṇanti = don’t prevent; sarvaśaḥ = by all means.
1 Assistants are not meant to be parasitic “yes men” to their authorities. This important principle applies to a king’s assistants in governance as well as to a guru’s assistants in education. But is it not offensive on the part of these assistants to disagree with their respective authorities? No, if these authorities are opposed to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This will be clarified in text 10 of this chapter. Technical note: sarvaśaḥ sarvopāyaiḥ
2 “Rather, you want to kill me when I advise you.” This is the idea.