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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.8.18

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 8: Story of the tapasvin’s sword. Sītā describes how guarding Indra’s weapon corrupted a peaceful ṛṣi and warns Rāma against violence without enmity

In the sequence: constant possession of the weapon gradually made him cruel; he abandoned his austerities and ultimately went to hell

3.8.18

nityaṃ śastraṃ parivahan krameṇa sa tapodhanaḥ
cakāra raudrīṃ svāṃ buddhiṃ tyaktvā tapasi niścayam

Ever carrying the weapon about, that ascetic rich in penance gradually made his own mind cruel, abandoning his resolve in austerity.

Words: nityaṃ — constantly, ever; śastraṃ — the weapon; parivahan — carrying about; krameṇa — gradually, in course of time; sa — that; tapodhanaḥ — rich in penance; cakāra — made; raudrīṃ — cruel, fierce; svāṃ — his own; buddhiṃ — mind, intellect; tyaktvā — having abandoned; tapasi — in austerity; niścayam — resolve, firmness

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.