Vibhishana’s departure from Ravana and allegiance to Rama

Vibhishana’s departure from Ravana and allegiance to Rama marks a rupture between the brothers and a shift of allegiance in the conflict. The account characterizes the departure as abrupt and unusually brief; an editorial note preserves a fuller alternative sequence from the Bengal recension.

The Rupture in the Main Account

The note describes Vibhishana’s desertion as abrupt and says it is narrated with unusual brevity compared with Válmíki’s treatment. The relationship is therefore defined here chiefly by its decisive break: Vibhishana leaves Ravana and seeks the opposing side, while the account gives little space to the transition itself.

The Bengal Recension’s Alternative Sequence

In the Bengal recension described by the note, the break begins with Ravana kicking Vibhishana from his seat. Vibhishana then tells his mother what has happened, flies to Kailasa, and meets Shiva. On Shiva’s advice, he seeks Rama and the Vánar Army. This version supplies a sequence of expulsion, family disclosure, consultation, and departure that the briefer account omits.

Companions and Narrative Significance

The editorial notes also identify four figures who fled with Vibhishana. Their presence makes the separation more than a private disagreement between brothers: it becomes a departure accompanied by followers. The contrast between the terse account and the Bengal recension’s fuller chain of events underscores how differently the rupture could be narrated, while both versions place Vibhishana’s break with Ravana before his turn toward Rama.