When a minister or a physician or a guru, these three speak pleasing words for fear or hope of reward, the result is that the kingdom, health and faith are all three quickly destroyed.

That was the situation in which Ravana found himself; the ministers extrolled him only to his face. Perceiving it to be an opportune hour, Vibhishana came to him and bowed his head before his brother’s feet.

Bowing his head again, he sat upon his throne and, when ordered to speak, addressed him thus: ‘If you ask my counsel, gracious lord, I tender it, brother, to the best of my ability and in your own interest.

Let him who desires his own welfare and glory, good understanding, a good destiny after his death and joys of various kinds, turn his eyes away from the face of another’s wife as men turn their eyes away from the moon on its fourth night.

Though a man were sole master of the fourteen spheres, he could not turn hostile to all creation and continue to exist. However perfect and accomplished a person may be, if he display the slightest trace of covetousness, no one will speak well of him.

Lust, anger, vanity and covetousness, my lord, are all paths that lead to hell; abjure them all and adore Rama, whom the saints worship.

Rama, brother, is not merely a king of men; he is the lord of the universe, the death of Death himself, the Absolute, the pure, the uncreated God, all-pervading, invincible, without beginning or end.