← 3.48.26 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 48: Jaṭāyu confronts Rāvaṇa

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.48.27

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 48: Jaṭāyu confronts Rāvaṇa. The aged vulture condemns the abduction, demands Sītā’s release and challenges the armed ruler despite his own disadvantage

In the sequence: he challenges Rāvaṇa to fight rather than flee while the brothers are absent → he vows to serve Rāma and Daśaratha even at the cost of his life.

3.48.27

tiṣṭha tiṣṭha daśagrīva muhūrtaṃ paśya rāvaṇa
yuddhātithyaṃ pradāsyāmi yathāprāṇaṃ niśācara
vṛntād iva phalaṃ tvāṃ tu pātayeyaṃ rathottamāt

'Halt, halt, O ten-necked Rāvaṇa! Wait but a moment and look. I shall offer you the hospitality of battle with all my strength, night-roamer, and cast you down from your splendid chariot like a ripe fruit from its stalk.'

Words: tiṣṭha — halt; tiṣṭha — halt; daśagrīva — O ten-necked one; muhūrtaṃ — for a moment; paśya — look; rāvaṇa — O Rāvaṇa; yuddhātithyaṃ — the hospitality of battle; pradāsyāmi — I will offer; yathāprāṇaṃ — to the best of my strength; niśācara — O night-roamer; vṛntād — from the stalk; iva — like; phalaṃ — a fruit; tvāṃ — you; tu — indeed; pātayeyaṃ — I would fell, cast down; rathottamāt — from (your) excellent chariot

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.