||om tat sat||
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा वानरस्य महात्मनः।
आज्ञापयत् वधं तस्य रावणः क्रोथमूर्चितः॥1||
स॥ रावणः महात्मनः वानरस्य तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा क्रोधमूर्छितः तस्य वधं आज्ञापयत्॥
Ravana, hearing the words of the great Vanara, overpowered with anger, ordered that he be killed.

Sundarakanda
Sarga 52

Ravana, hearing the words of the great Vanara, overpowered with anger, ordered that he be killed.

Vibhishana did not agree with the wicked Ravana's order to kill the one who announced himself as a messenger. Vibhishana, the one who stands by the right course of action, having realized that the Rakshasa king was angry, started thinking about the course of action. Then the winner of enemies, skilled in speech, having made up his mind, spoke to his reverential elder in meaningful and wholesome manner.

'Oh King of Rakshasas, forgive him. Give up your anger. Please hear my words. Rulers of the earth, good men who know what is exalted and what is mean, do not kill a messenger. Oh mighty one, killing this Vanara is against the right conduct of kings and is deprecated in diplomacy. It is unbecoming of you. You alone are the knower of Dharma. You have a sense of gratitude. You know the statecraft. You know the right and wrong practices among all beings, and the supreme truth. If a wise one like you is overpowered with anger then the study of scriptures is a fruitless exercise. Oh King, oh destroyer of foes, oh unassailable one, calm down. Only after carefully considering what is proper and improper then impose the punishment on the messenger'.

The king of Rakshasas Ravana hearing those words of Vibhishana, still overcome with anger replied to him. 'Oh slayer of foes, killing sinners is not a sin. This Vanara is a sinner. So I shall have him killed'.

Vibhishana foremost among the wise, hearing the unrighteous words which are false and unacceptable to noble souls, spoke words of supreme truth. 'Oh King, please calm down. Hear these words of Dharma and Artha. Oh King, the knowledgeable people everywhere say this. At all times the messengers are not to be killed'.

'Without a doubt this enemy has done a great harm. He has done incomparably unpleasant acts. The knowledgeable people do not talk of killing messengers. There are many punishments seen for the messengers. Deforming their limbs, flogging, shaving the head, similarly disfigurement, these are the punishments prescribed for a messenger. The killing of messenger is not heard'.

'Those well versed in Dharma and Artha they decide about good and bad. Learned ones like you, how can you be swayed by anger. Courageous one, keep the anger under control. Oh great warrior there is none to equal you in the discussion of Dharma. None in the conduct of affairs. None in grasping the essence of Sastras. You are the best among all Suras and Asuras'.

'Oh lord of night beings, you are invincible by the brave, by the courageous, by Suras and Asuras. Hosts of loud mouthed Suras and Daityas have been won over by you repeatedly. I am not seeing any merit in killing this Vanara. This punishment has to be on those by whom he was sent'.

'Good or bad he was sent by others. Speaking for others, the messenger does not deserve to be killed. Oh King, supposing he is killed, I do not see another creature who can cross the great ocean and come through the skies here. Hence oh hero, who can conquer citadels of enemies, effort in killing him should not be made. You are fit to fight against Devas including Indra. Oh Lover of war, if he is slain, I do not see anybody who can incite those two ill-mannered princes who are obstructed from reaching this place to come here. Delight of Rakshasas, invincible for all those endowed with vigor and valor or invincible even for the Suras and Asuras, it is not proper for you lose a chance for a war with those two princes'.

'You have well-wishers, well established courageous ones, intellectuals born in noted families with good qualities, well paid wielders of weapons, in your presence. By your order let some powerful ones with one part of the army march out for war and capture the two princes exhibiting your power among your enemies'.

The mighty chief among the Rakshasas, the king of night roamers and enemy of gods accepted the words of excellent advice from Vibhishana.

Thus ends Sarga fifty two of Sundarakanda in Ramayana the first poem ever composed in Sanskrit by the first poet sage Valmiki

||om tat sat||
निशाचरणामधिपोsनुजस्य
विभीषणस्योत्तम वाक्यमिष्टम्।
जग्राह बुद्द्या सुरलोकशत्रु
र्महाबलो राक्षसराजमुख्यः॥26||
स॥ निशाचराणां सुरलोकशत्रुः महाबलः राक्षसराजमुख्यः अनुजस्य विभीषणस्य इष्टं उत्तमवाक्यं बुद्ध्या जग्राह॥
The mighty chief among the Rakshasas, the king of night roamers and enemy of gods accepted the words of excellent advice from Vibhishana.
||om tat sat||