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Wednesday, April 16, 2025

We are what the company we keep..



कुर्वीत संगतं सद्भिर्नासद्भिर्गुणवर्जितैः।
प्राप राघवसंगत्या प्राज्यं राज्यं विभीषाणः॥१५
क्षेमेन्द्रकविप्रणीते चारुचर्यायाम्॥
kurvīta saṁgataṁ sadbhirnāsadbhirguṇavarjitaiḥ|
prāpa rāghavasaṁgatyā prājyaṁ rājyaṁ vibhīṣāṇaḥ||15
kṣemendrakavipraṇīte cārucaryāyām||
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yet another gem from Kshemendra.
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one should associate and maintain friendship with good and noble people only.
Association with mean and characterless fellows who do not have any good qualities should be avoided at any cost.
Vibheeshana gained prominence and became king of Lanka too because he sought the company of Sri Rama, the Raghava.
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The storyline cited is too well known..
It is from the epic Ramayanam..
Rama the prince of Ayodhya, along with Sita his wife and Lakshmana, his brother were living in exile in the forest.
The demon king Ravana, from the adjoining island Lanka, abducted Sita through treachery and sleight..
Ravanas intention was to make Sita his own wife even by exerting force.
The courtiers and subjects of Lanka did not raise their voice of dissent against this atrocity..
But Vibheeshana, the brother of Ravana who was living in high royal favour could not reconcile himself to this act of injustice and blasphemy.
He advised his brother Ravana to restore Sita to Rama and prevent disaster for himself and the country..
But the arrogant Ravana would not listen.. Instead, he rose up in uncontrollable rage and tried to finish off Vibheeshana..
Vibheeshana escapeed through the aerial path, and approached Rama who was camping in the seashore in South India ( the present Ramesvaram.. Dhanushkoti)
The prince Rama gave asylum to Vibheeshana. Vibheshana proved to be an able aide and supporter to Rama in his war with Ravana.
And after slaying Ravana and inundating his army, and regaining Sita in all gloroy, Rama assigned the kingdom of Lanka to Vibheeshana.
So Vibheeshana gained name and fame and kingdom too because he left the company of the evil Ravana, although he was his own brother and joined company with the noble prince Rama..
We are what the company we keep..

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