← 1.14.19 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth · 1.14.21 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.14.20

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: Viṣṇu arrives → the Suras ask him to divide himself fourfold and become sons through Daśaratha's three wives → in human form he must kill Rāvaṇa and free the worlds and tapasvins from fear.

1.14.20

sa hi devān sagandharvān siddhāṃś ca ṛṣisattamān
rākṣaso rāvaṇo mūrkho vīryotsekena bādhate

For that foolish rākṣasa Rāvaṇa harasses the gods, the gandharvas, the siddhas, and the best of seers, through the excess of his might.

Words: sa — he; hi — for; devān — the gods; sagandharvān — with the gandharvas; siddhāṃś — the siddhas; ca — and; ṛṣisattamān — the best of seers; rākṣaso — the rākṣasa; rāvaṇo — Rāvaṇa; mūrkho — the fool; vīryotsekena — through the excess of his might; bādhate — harasses, oppresses

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.