66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

eyond our power to cross this little ocean and put an end to
their activities. Why give this so much thought? Could one
ever be afraid of one’s food?” Others got up, practically
repeating what had been said by the previous speakers, and
emphasizing the greatness of Ravana and the meanness of
their enemies. They worked themselves into a mood of such
contempt that they came to the conclusion, “To go after a
couple of human beings heading a horde of monkeys, with
all the paraphernalia of war, would not be in keeping with our
dignity. We should rather wait for the creatures to venture
onto our soil, in their own time, and then we can end their
adventure.”
Then Kumbakarna, Ravana’s brother, rose to say a few
plain words. “You have done incompatible things. You have
desired to appropriate another man’s wife, which is against
all codes of conduct, and now you are thinking of your
prestige, reputation, status, fame, might, and eminence. My
dear brother, you snatched away a beautiful woman, turning
a deaf ear to her screams and appeals, and have kept her in
prison all these months. And this has brought us the present
catastrophe. But now consider deeply. Do you want to
restore her to her husband and seek peace or not? Since
you have gone so far, you should keep her and let us fight for
her possession. And if we are victorious, well and good, but
if we die, let us die. My dear brother, I am now ready to lead
an army against our enemies. Let us not delay.”