Vibhishana's defection to Rama

Vibhishaṇ’s defection to Ráma is a departure from Rávaṇ’s side that the Bengal recension gives a more explicit sequence and impetus than the main text. In that version, Rávaṇ’s treatment of Vibhishaṇ precedes a visit to their mother, a journey to Kailasa, and counsel from Shiva before Vibhishaṇ seeks Ráma and the Vánar Army.

The Departure in the Text

The accompanying note characterizes the defection as abrupt and says that Válmíki’s narration treats it with unusual brevity. It also cautions that the speakers and speeches leading up to the departure differ considerably between the Bengal recension and the version followed in the main text. The event therefore has two distinct textual presentations: a compressed departure in the main account and a variant that supplies additional steps before Vibhishaṇ changes sides.

The Bengal Recension

In the Bengal version, Rávaṇ first kicks Vibhishaṇ from his seat. Vibhishaṇ then tells his mother what has happened, making the incident with Rávaṇ the stated immediate circumstance before he leaves. Rather than going directly to Ráma, he flies to Kailasa and meets Shiva there. Shiva advises Vibhishaṇ to seek Ráma and the Vánar Army. Vibhishaṇ follows that counsel, and his departure becomes a course of action mediated by consultation rather than a single, unexplained break. The note does not describe what happens after he reaches them.

Narrative Significance

The variant account makes the change of allegiance more legible by placing Rávaṇ’s treatment of Vibhishaṇ, his disclosure to his mother, and his consultation with Shiva before his approach to Ráma. At the same time, the note’s emphasis on the main text’s brevity preserves a contrast between the versions: one leaves the transition abrupt, while the other records a short chain of cause and counsel. The evidence establishes this difference in narration without resolving the disagreements between the recensions.