267. Ravana convenes a meeting with his ministers.

                I am sure you are wondering what is happening at Lanka, what is the reaction of Ravana and what he proposes to do etc. That makes two of us. Let us go over to Lanka now and see what that guy Ravana is doing.
             Look! Ravana seems to be having a cabinet meeting. Look at his faces! All of them seem to be descended more than a little with shame at the thought of the fearful and the terrible act in Lanka done by Hanuman, a lowly vanara. Nevertheless he looked as imposing, grand, impressive, magnificent and majestic as before. His throne and the chairs for the members were makeshift ones. The charred walls were bereft of any decorations.
      Ravana started the meeting with his usual grand look and majestic voice (I guess at any point of time he normally uses only one mouth; in anger may be he will shout with all his ten mouths) with  "By him, who was only a vanara, the irresistible City of Lanka was entered into and was over-powered. Seetha the daughter of Janaka was also discovered by him. The thousand-pillared building used as a sanctuary was assaulted by that animal. Some of our most excellent rakshasas were killed. The entire City of Lanka was made turbid. What do you wise and very learned ministers think we should do now? What the very first appropriate thing is to be done next? 

          "Wise-men say that victory is dependent on good forethought. Verily for that reason, I desire a deliberation about Rama. There are three types of men (meaning devas, asuras, humans and animals) in the world, to wit the foremost the midmost and the lowermost. Let me tell you their inherent merits and demerits. The wise call him as the foremost among men, who carries through the beginning of any undertaking after consulting those who are wedded with the welfare of others, or with ministers who are highly knowledgeable in conferring advice or with friends having common interests. The wise men call that man as mediocre, who deliberates about an activity solitarily, applies his mind on law and justice all by himself and performs works singly. He who does not determine the merits and demerits of an act clearly, having recourse to Providence and neglects his duty by simply telling 'I shall do it',  is the lowest among men. In which manner these men are categorized always as good, bad or mediocre, so also the resolution in thought is classified as good bad or mediocre.

      "The wise say that resolution of thought is excellent in which the thinkers, on a view perceived by scriptures, obtain consensus and are satisfied with it. After deliberating several kinds of opinions, a decision of a matter obtained finally by a consensus of the counselors, is called mediocre. That resolution is said to be worst in which several arguments are made, employing divergent opinions and in which there is no advantage even after a consensus. For that reason, you, having excellent intellect, arrive at a well-thought out rightful action. I request you to do it earnestly. Rama surrounded by thousands of courageous vanaras, will be  coming to the City of Lanka, for the purpose of rescuing Seetha. Rama, by his befitting strength and intellegence, can certainly cross the ocean without much difficulty, with his brother along with his army and his companions. He may even get the ocean dried up. He may do any other thing by his valour. Please, therefore advise me with such advice that will save this city Lanka and my army."

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