Mālyavān

Mālyavān was one of the oldest and most respected rākshasa elders of Laṅkā. He was the maternal grandfather of Rāvaṇa, a mahātāpasvin (a great performer of tapas, austerity), and a person of great standing in the rākshasa assembly.

When Rāvaṇa carried off Sītā and the vānara army (the forest-dwelling warriors of Rāma) crossed the sea to Laṅkā, Mālyavān spoke plainly in the royal sabhā (assembly hall). He told Rāvaṇa that Śrī Rāma was no ordinary mortal but Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu himself, and he urged him to return Sītā before the kingdom was destroyed. Rāvaṇa answered with anger and sent his grandfather away.

Identity and lineage

Mālyavān was the grandfather of Rāvaṇa through Rāvaṇa’s mother Kaikasī. He was the most senior rākshasa of the family line. He carried the weight of age, of tapas and of ancestry in the rākshasa royal house. He was a great warrior in his own right, but by the time of the war at Laṅkā he was old.

He had watched Rāvaṇa rise to power, through the conquests of Indra, Kubera and the three worlds, with both pride and worry. The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 35, tells of this.

His counsel in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa

The vānara army had crossed the ocean and camped outside Laṅkā. Mālyavān asked for a hearing with Rāvaṇa. In the royal sabhā he said what every other counsellor had said before him, but with more authority, because he was the grandfather and the eldest voice present. In the Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 35, he spoke in these words:

“Rāvaṇa! A ruler must choose between peace (sandhi) and war (vigraha) by weighing strength and wisdom. You have started a conflict that cannot be won. Listen to me. The vānara who crossed the ocean alone and burned Laṅkā, Hanumān, shows us what kind of being we face. Think what manner of man can command such a servant. This Rāma is not an ordinary mortal. The devas, siddhas, gandharvas and yakshas all tell me the same thing: this Rāma is Śrī Mahāvishṇu himself, come down in human form. The vānaras with him are aṃśas (portions) of the devas, sent to support this avatāra. By taking Sītā you have set the whole purpose of svarga (heaven) against Laṅkā. Return Sītā. Make peace. Rāma will honour a just settlement. Do not destroy Laṅkā over this.”

He also told of the signs of doom he had seen. There were ill omens over Laṅkā. The rākshasa army had lost its spirit. Birds and animals behaved strangely. He read these as sure signs that Laṅkā would be destroyed if Rāvaṇa did not change his course.

Rāvaṇa’s answer

Rāvaṇa’s answer was fierce. He dismissed Mālyavān with scorn. He accused his own grandfather of cowardice, of being won over by the enemy’s talk, and of forgetting the glory of the rākshasa race. He declared that no mortal could challenge the might of Laṅkā, that the vānaras were only animals, and that the outcome of the war was not in doubt. He ordered Mālyavān to leave the sabhā. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 36.

Mālyavān did not argue further. He withdrew, having done his duty. What followed was what he had foreseen.

In the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa

In the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Mālyavān speaks earlier than in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. He speaks in the war council that Rāvaṇa called after the burning of Laṅkā, while the vānara army was still across the ocean.

Vibhīshaṇa had first given Rāvaṇa his full counsel in line with dharma. He urged him to return Sītā. He told him that Pulastya’s disciple had privately confirmed Rāma as the Paramātman, and he warned that adharma can never lead to victory. Then Mālyavān rose and spoke in support:

“Laṅkeśa! Vibhīshaṇa is viveka-sampanna, endowed with the highest discernment. Your younger brother has spoken with far sight and understanding of what helps and what harms. To follow the path he has shown is the wisest course in every way.”

Rāvaṇa again answered with fury. He accused Mālyavān of treachery and ordered him out of the assembly. Mālyavān left at once, without arguing, having done his duty.

In the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Laṅkā Kāṇḍa

In the Laṅkā Kāṇḍa of Tulasīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas, the vānara army began its assault and broke through the walls of Laṅkā on the first day of battle. Mālyavān then gave Rāvaṇa a second hitabodha (counsel for his good). This section is called Mālyavāntuni Hitabodha. He urged Rāvaṇa even then to see the real state of things and make peace.

As before, Rāvaṇa waved the counsel aside in his pride. He said the vānaras were only food for his warriors. Bhagavān Śiva, telling the story to Pārvatī, says: “As the sky cannot fall even if a sandpiper holds up her feet to support it, so Rāvaṇa’s pride and delusion could not be shaken loose by any counsel, however wise.”

Mālyavān’s place in the Rāmāyaṇa

Mālyavān speaks for śāstra, wisdom and experience in the rākshasa court. In the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa he names Rāma plainly as Bhagavān Mahāvishṇu, not only as a great warrior. The warning comes from the rākshasa elder of the highest standing, and Rāvaṇa dismisses it in anger.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapters 35–36
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 5–7
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Laṅkā Kāṇḍa (Mālyavān Hitabodha section)