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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 The Ramayana speaks of the sacred responsibilities of a king and also that of his ministers, especially when the king goes astray, in several places. We find Kamban introducing the counsellors of Dasaratha - among other things - as:
‘tham uyirkku irudhi eNNaar.’ They would not think of the possible risk of losing their lives.
‘thalai Magan veguNda pOdhum,’ even when the King is furious (when they offer an advice that may be unpleasant to him)
‘vemmayaith thaangi’ bearing the haughtiness as also the insults,
‘needhi vidaadhu nindru uraikkum veerar’ those brave men would persist in showing the king the path of justice.
A minister’s mind must dwell on what is right and what is good for the people as a whole. Whenever the king takes a step that does not go with the common good, the minister should be bold enough to point it out, stand his ground and make the king see what is right. If he yields to the temptation of speaking whatever is pleasing to the king and try to justify his misdeeds with interpolated explanations of the codes of conduct, may be it would find short-term peace. But it is nothing but digging the grave for the king. That is why Valluvar, the great law-giver, states “The king, who is without the guard of men who can rebuke him, will perish, even though there be not one to destroy him.”
(Kural 448)
Such a king who is surrounded by ‘yesmen’ needs no other enemy. He would walk the right royal road to destruction. Unfortunately, Ravana was surrounded by such men. They could not do much, however. Ravana had his own way of doctoring his counsellors. We find a mention of the duties of good counsellors in a most unexpected place in the Ramayana. Quite surprisingly, Märïca chides Ravana, for his mindless insistence on seeking his help for taking Sita by underhand means. And he finds faults with the counsellors he has.
“What man of sinful deeds has advised to you this course of action, which spells you doom along with that of your sons, kingdom and ministers, O night-stalker? Who is that man of sinful deeds, who does not rejoice with you while you are enjoying happiness, O king? By whom has this door to death been directed to you in the guise of an expedient, O king? Obviously enough, O ranger of the night, your enemies of meagre strength wish to see you besieged by a stronger power and meeting with your doom (in consequence). By what mean fellow of noxious designs has this course of action been urged on you? He wishes you to perish as a result of your own deeds, O prowler of the night! Worthy of execution indeed are your ministers, O Ravana, who do not hold you back by every means even though seeing you having set your foot on a wrong path; yet they are not put to death (by you).” (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Canto XLI, Sloka 2-6)
 Compare this Sloka from Valmiki with the Kural quoted above and also with what Kamban says of the ministers of Dasaratha. “A licentious king who has taken to evil ways surely deserves to be checked in everyway by virtuous ministers. Though deserving to be so checked, you have, however, not been checked.” (Ibid, Sloka 7)
If your ministers were virtuous, they would have shown you the right way and would have protected you from the path of total destruction. The very fact that you are here on such a mission shows that your ministers are incapable of doing so, which again proves that they are not virtuous. They deserve to be killed.
And then, why should a king be protected thus by a minister, even when he runs the risk of death at the hands of the former? Märïca continues.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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