# Bāla Kāṇḍa 19 — Daśaratha’s resistance: The army offered in Rāma’s place *Daśaratha resists sending the young Rāma, offers himself and his army instead and renews his refusal on hearing of Rāvaṇa’s power* Portion: Viśvāmitra’s request and Rāma’s departure · Verses: 25 · Ref format: 1.19. ## Sequence - Recovering, Daśaratha protests that Rāma is not yet sixteen and unready to face rākṣasas → he offers to go himself with a full army division and protect the observance (19.1–6) - he describes Rāma as inexperienced in warfare and deception and says he cannot endure separation → if Rāma must go, he asks to accompany him with the fourfold army (19.7–9) - he says that sixty thousand years have passed since his birth and recalls how difficult it was to obtain this especially beloved son (19.10–11) - he asks who the enemies are, how strong they are, and who supports them (19.12–14) - Viśvāmitra names Rāvaṇa, son of Viśravas and brother of Kubera, protected by Brahmā's boon → Mārīca and Subāhu obstruct the sacrifice at his urging (19.15–18) - Daśaratha admits he cannot face Rāvaṇa, whose power cannot be withstood by Devas, dānavas, gandharvas, yakṣas, patagas or pannagas, and again refuses to send Rāma → he nevertheless offers to fight Mārīca or Subāhu with his companions (19.19–25). ## Verses **1.19.1** tac chrutvā rājaśārdūla viśvāmitrasya bhāṣitam muhūrtam iva niḥsaṃjñaḥ saṃjñāvān idam abravīt Hearing that utterance of Viśvāmitra, the tiger among kings, senseless as it were for a moment, then regaining his senses said this: **1.19.2** ūnaṣoḍaśavarṣo me rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ na yuddhayogyatām asya paśyāmi saha rākṣasaiḥ My lotus-eyed Rāma is not yet sixteen years old; I do not see his fitness for battle with the rākṣasas. **1.19.3** iyam akṣauhiṇī pūrṇā yasyāhaṃ patir īśvaraḥ anayā saṃvṛto gatvā yodhāhaṃ tair niśācaraiḥ Here is a full army-division, of which I am the lord and master; surrounded by it, I will go and do battle with those night-rangers. **1.19.4** ime śūrāś ca vikrāntā bhṛtyā me 'straviśāradāḥ yogyā rakṣogaṇair yoddhuṃ na rāmaṃ netum arhasi These heroic and valiant servants of mine, skilled in weapons, are fit to fight the hosts of rākṣasas; you should not take Rāma away. **1.19.5** aham eva dhanuṣpāṇir goptā samaramūrdhani yāvat prāṇān dhariṣyāmi tāvad yotsye niśācaraiḥ I myself, bow in hand, will be the protector at the head of the battle; as long as I hold my breath of life, so long will I fight with the night-rovers. **1.19.6** nirvighnā vratavaryā sā bhaviṣyati surakṣitā ahaṃ tatra gamiṣyāmil na rāma netum arhasi Well protected, that excellent observance will be free of obstruction; I will go there — you should not take Rāma away. **1.19.7** bālo hy akṛtavidyaś ca na ca vetti balābalam na cāstrabalasaṃyukto na ca yuddhaviśāradaḥ na cāsau rakṣasāṃ yogyaḥ kūṭayuddhā hi te dhruvam For he is a boy, his education incomplete; he does not know strength from weakness, is not endowed with the power of weapons, nor skilled in warfare. And he is no match for the rākṣasas, for they surely fight by trickery. **1.19.8** viprayukto hi rāmeṇa muhūrtam api notsahe jīvituṃ muniśārdūla na rāmaṃ netum arhasi For, parted from Rāma, I cannot bear to live even for a moment, O tiger among sages; you should not take Rāma away. **1.19.9** yadi vā rāghavaṃ brahman netum icchasi suvrata caturaṅgasamāyuktaṃ mayā saha ca taṃ naya But if, O brahmin of good vows, you wish to take Rāghava, then take him along with me and with the fourfold army. **1.19.10** ṣaṣṭir varṣasahasrāṇi jātasya mama kauśikaḥ duḥkhenotpāditaś cāyaṃ na rāmaṃ netum arhasi Sixty thousand years have passed since my birth, O Kauśika; and this (son) was begotten with (great) difficulty — you should not take Rāma away. **1.19.11** caturṇām ātmajānāṃ hi prītiḥ paramikā mama jyeṣṭhaṃ dharmapradhānaṃ ca na rāmaṃ netum arhasi For of my four sons my supreme love is (for him); he is the eldest and foremost in dharma — you should not take Rāma away. **1.19.12** kiṃ vīryā rākṣasās te ca kasya putrāś ca ke ca te kathaṃ pramāṇāḥ ke caitān rakṣanti munipuṃgava What might have those rākṣasas, and whose sons are they, and who are they? Of what stature are they, and who protects them, O bull among sages? **1.19.13** kathaṃ ca pratikartavyaṃ teṣāṃ rāmeṇa rakṣasām māmakair vā balair brahman mayā vā kūṭayodhinām And how are those rākṣasas, who fight by trickery, to be countered — by Rāma, or by my forces, O brahmin, or by me myself? **1.19.14** sarvaṃ me śaṃsa bhagavan kathaṃ teṣāṃ mayā raṇe sthātavyaṃ duṣṭabhāvānāṃ vīryotsiktā hi rākṣasāḥ Tell me everything, O venerable one — how I must stand against those evil-natured ones in battle; for the rākṣasas are puffed up with might. **1.19.15** tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā viśvāmitro 'bhyabhāṣata paulastyavaṃśaprabhavo rāvaṇo nāma rākṣasaḥ Hearing that speech of his, Viśvāmitra replied: “There is a rākṣasa named Rāvaṇa, sprung from the line of Pulastya; **1.19.16** sa brahmaṇā dattavaras trailokyaṃ bādhate bhṛśam mahābalo mahāvīryo rākṣasair bahubhir vṛtaḥ He, granted a boon by Brahmā, sorely afflicts the three worlds — of great strength and great valour, surrounded by many rākṣasas. **1.19.17** śrūyate hi mahāvīryo rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ sākṣād vaiśravaṇabhrātā putro viśvaraso muneḥ For it is heard that Rāvaṇa, lord of rākṣasas, of great valour, is verily the brother of Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), the son of the sage Viśravas. **1.19.18** yadā svayaṃ na yajñasya vighnakartā mahābalaḥ tena saṃcoditau tau tu rākṣasau sumahā balau mārīcaś ca subāhuś ca yajñavighnaṃ kariṣyataḥ When that mighty one is not himself the obstructor of the sacrifice, then, urged on by him, those two rākṣasas of very great strength, Mārīca and Subāhu, will work the obstruction of the sacrifice. **1.19.19** ity ukto muninā tena rājovāca muniṃ tadā na hi śakto 'smi saṃgrāme sthātuṃ tasya durātmanaḥ Thus addressed by that sage, the king then said to the sage: “I am not able to stand in battle against that evil-souled one; **1.19.20** sa tvaṃ prasādaṃ dharmajña kuruṣva mama putrake devadānavagandharvā yakṣāḥ pataga pannagāḥ So do you, O knower of dharma, show favour to me regarding my dear son. Gods, dānavas, gandharvas, yakṣas, birds and serpents — **1.19.21** na śaktā rāvaṇaṃ soḍhuṃ kiṃ punar mānavā yudhi sa hi vīryavatāṃ vīryam ādatte yudhi rākṣasaḥ — are not able to withstand Rāvaṇa, much less humans in war; for in battle that rākṣasa robs the mighty of their might. **1.19.22** tena cāhaṃ na śakto 'smi saṃyoddhuṃ tasya vā balaiḥ sabalo vā muniśreṣṭha sahito vā mamātmajaiḥ And I am not able to do battle with him, or with his forces — whether with my own army, O best of sages, or together with my sons. **1.19.23** katham apy amaraprakhyaṃ saṃgrāmāṇām akovidam bālaṃ me tanayaṃ brahman naiva dāsyāmi putrakam By no means, O brahmin, will I give up my son — a mere child, godlike (though he is) yet unskilled in battles, my little boy. **1.19.24** atha kālopamau yuddhe sutau sundopasundayoḥ yajñavighnakarau tau te naiva dāsyāmi putrakam Moreover, those two obstructors of your sacrifice, like Death in battle, the sons of Sunda and Upasunda — (against them) I will by no means give my little son. **1.19.25** mārīcaś ca subāhuś ca vīryavantau suśikṣitau tayor anyatareṇāhaṃ yoddhā syāṃ sasuhṛdgaṇaḥ Mārīca and Subāhu, mighty and well-trained — with either of those two I myself, together with my band of friends, would do battle.