Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 41: Mārīca Again Criticizes Rāvaṇa
Text 3.41.16

तदिदं काकतालीयं घोरमासादितं मया।
अत्रैव शोचनीयस्त्वं ससैन्यो विनशिष्यसि॥

tad idaṁ kāka-tālīyaṁ ghoram āsāditaṁ mayā
atraiva śocanīyas tvaṁ sasainyo vinaśiṣyasi

tat = therefore; idam = this task [at hand]; kāka-tālīyam = somehow or other; ghoram = terrible; āsāditam mayā = I have met with; atra = in this situation; eva = alone; śocanīyaḥ = are to be deplored; tvam = you; sa-sainyaḥ = with your army; vinaśiṣyasi = [because] you will be annihilated.

Somehow or other, I have met with this terrible task [at hand].1 Therefore you alone are to be deplored in this situation [because] you will be annihilated with your army.2

Mārīca states here that he is not to be deplored, implying that after all one who has inattentively fallen into a crisis is not meant to be deplored.

Since Rāvaṇa is to perish with his army in this endeavor [of his], it is Mārīca who should deplore Rāvaṇa, [for] Rāvaṇa is consciously [and intentionally engaging in this endeavor].1

Somehow or other, Rāvaṇa has gone ahead with this terrible task because of which he will perish with his army. Here Mārīca laments [in his mind], “Alas, by providence a great disaster has befallen my king!”

Rāvaṇa might object, “What [kind of] destruction [will fall] upon me as long as you are there?” Anticipating this, Mārīca speaks the next verse.


1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: kāka-tālīyaṁ yādṛcchikam.

2 Śocanīyaḥ has two meanings: “are to be deplored” and “are to be pitied.” The commentator explains the former meaning in his commentary to this verse and the latter meaning in his commentary to the next verse.

1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: buddhi-pūrvakārī tvam eva hi śocya iti bhāvaḥ.