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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.26.5

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 26: Triśiras loses his three heads. He takes Khara’s place in battle, Rāma wrecks his chariot and severs his heads, Khara advances himself

In the sequence: Triśiras intercepts Khara and asks to fight first, swearing on his weapon that either he or Rāma will die → Khara can return victorious if Rāma falls, or fight afterward if Triśiras fails

3.26.5

prahṛṣṭo vā hate rāme janasthānaṃ prayāsyasi
mayi vā nihate rāmaṃ saṃyugāyopayāsyasi

Either, delighted at Rāma's death, you will go back to Janasthāna; or, should I be slain, you will go against Rāma for battle.

Words: prahṛṣṭo — delighted; vā — either; hate rāme — when Rāma is slain; janasthānaṃ — to Janasthāna; prayāsyasi — you will go; mayi vā nihate — or when I am slain; rāmaṃ — against Rāma; saṃyugāyopayāsyasi — you will go for battle

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.