← 1.14.11 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth · 1.14.13 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.14.12

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: Brahmā recalls that Rāvaṇa asked protection from gandharvas, yakṣas, Devas, dānavas, and rākṣasas, but omitted humans out of contempt → a human can therefore kill him, and the assembly rejoices

1.14.12

evam uktaḥ suraiḥ sarvaiś cintayitvā tato 'bravīt
hantāyaṃ vihitas tasya vadhopāyo durātmanaḥ

Thus addressed by all the gods, having pondered, he then said: “Aha, here is devised the means of slaying that evil-souled one.

Words: evam — thus; uktaḥ — addressed; suraiḥ — by the gods; sarvaiś — all; cintayitvā — having pondered; tato — then; 'bravīt — said; hantāyaṃ — ‘aha, this’; vihitas — devised, arranged; tasya — of that; vadhopāyo — the means of slaying; durātmanaḥ — of the evil-souled one

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.