Kamba Ramayana A study 25, Vibhishana and Khumbakarna contd.,

Vibhishana and his four councillors land near Rama's vanara army. They decide to wait till morning. At dawn they go and stand near the camp and cry 'O Raghava I take refuge in thee'.

 

Vibhishana meets Rama.
 Illustrated by Balasaheb Pandit Pant Pratinidhi

Rama hears their plea and after consulting  others sends Sugriva to meet Vibhishana with an invitation to his presence.

Invited, Vibhishana reacts like an ardent devotee; tears fell down  Vibhishana's sable cheeks, joy filled his anxious heart and his hair stood on end....'Great is my blessing, for I am saved from the cycle of birth and death and aye from a burning pit.'

And he is accepted as a brother and then Rama solemnly crowned him as king of Lanka.
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The author states that Valmiki has shown  Vibhishana in a different light. In VR, on seeing Rama and Lakshmana, fallen wounded by Indrajit's arrow, he laments; 'Those two warriors on whose valor I counted so much for the sake of my advancement are now fallen and are dead. Today I live a ruined man, with all my thoughts of sovereignty gone forever.'

These words, along with others, make of Vibhishana little more than a common traitor who has had the good fortune of having foreseen in time the sure ultimate victory of  Rama. And this should explain the bad odour that surrounds the name of Vibhishana among modern critics ... But in the south, the cult of Rama as an avatar of Vishnu being strong, Kamban treats Vibhishana as a bhakta of Rama, instead of an selfish adventurer.

Vibhishana is well aware of the delicacy of his position and does not take part in actual fighting in any of the battles. He realises his limitation when he sees Lakshmana down and seemingly lifeless, bound by an astra. He laments; if I had joined in the fight, I could have shattered the Rakshasa force and proved my loyal heart to Ram.

But his role as an adviser is not small. Rama exclaims to Lakshmana when Indrajit's head is brought  before him; 'It is not thy arms, O lion 'mong men that brought the foe of Indra down; nor owe we this to the blessing of a god,......It is Vibhishana with his counsel sage that's guided us to victory!'

We have discussed this controversial character threadbare. Each one to himself and God for all! 
R