← 1.14.10 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth · 1.14.12 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.14.11

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth. Ṛṣyaśṛṅga begins the putrīyā iṣṭi, the Devas ask Viṣṇu to take human birth because Rāvaṇa’s protection excludes humans

In the sequence: the Devas tell Brahmā that Rāvaṇa's boon prevents them from punishing him, although he terrorizes the worlds, obstructs holy people, and threatens Indra → even the sun, wind, and ocean refrain from troubling him

1.14.11

tan manan no bhayaṃ tasmād rākṣasād ghoradarśanāt
vadhārthaṃ tasya bhagavann upāyaṃ kartum arhasi

There is great fear for us from that rākṣasa of dreadful aspect; O venerable one, you should devise a means for his slaying.”

Words: tan — that; manan — great (reading uncertain; likely for mahat); no — for us; bhayaṃ — fear; tasmād — from that; rākṣasād — rākṣasa; ghoradarśanāt — of dreadful aspect; vadhārthaṃ — for the sake of slaying; tasya — of him; bhagavann — O venerable one; upāyaṃ — a means, expedient; kartum — to devise, make; arhasi — you should

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.