Chapter VIII

aṣṭamaḥ sargaḥ vālmīkiruvāca |
tacchrutvā rājaśārdūlo viśvāmitrasya bhāṣitam |
muhūrtamāsīnniśceṣṭaḥ sadainyaṃ cedamabravīt || 1 ||
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ūnaṣoḍaśavarṣo'yaṃ rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ |
na yuddhayogyatāmasya paśyāmi saha rākṣasaiḥ || 2 ||
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iyamakṣauhiṇī pūrṇā yasyāḥ patirahaṃ prabho |
tayā parivṛto yuddhaṃ dāsyāmi piśitāśinām || 3 ||
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ime hi śūrā vikrāntā bhṛtyā mantraviśāradāḥ |
ahaṃ caiṣāṃ dhanuṣpāṇirgoptā samaramūrdhani || 4 ||
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ebhiḥ sahaiva vīrāṇāṃ mahendramahatāmapi |
dadāmi yuddhaṃ mattānāṃ kariṇāmiva kesarī || 5 ||
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bālo rāmastvanīkeṣu na jānāti balābalam |
antaḥpurādṛte dṛṣṭā nānenānyā raṇāvaniḥ || 6 ||
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na śastraiḥ paramairyukto na ca yuddhaviśāradaḥ |
navāstraiḥ śūrakoṭīnāṃ tajjñaḥ samarabhūmiṣu || 7 ||
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kevalaṃ puṣpakhaṇḍeṣu nagaropavaneṣu ca |
udyānavanakuñjeṣu sadaiva pariśīlanam || 8 ||
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vihartumeṣa jānāti saha rājakumārakaiḥ |
kīrṇapuṣpopahārāsu svakāsvajirabhūmiṣu || 9 ||
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adya tvatitarāṃ brahmanmama bhāgyaviparyayāt |
himeneva hi padmābhaḥ saṃpanno hariṇaḥ kṛśaḥ || 10 ||
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nāttumannāni śaknoti na vihartuṃ gṛhāvanim |
antaḥkhedaparītātmā tūṣṇīṃ tiṣṭhati kevalam || 11 ||
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sadāraḥ sahabhṛtyo'haṃ tatkṛte munināyaka |
śaradīva payovāho nūnaṃ niḥsāratāṃ gataḥ || 12 ||
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īdṛśo'sau suto bāla ādhinā'tha vaśīkṛtaḥ |
kathaṃ dadāmi taṃ tubhyaṃ yoddhuṃ saha niśācaraiḥ || 13 ||
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api bālāṅganāsaṅgādapi sādho sudhārasāt |
rājyādapi sukhāyaiva putrasneho mahāmate || 14 ||
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ye durantā mahārambhāstriṣu lokeṣu khedadāḥ |
putrasnehena santo'pi kurvate tānasaṃśayam || 15 ||
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asavo'tha dhanaṃ dārāstyajyante mānavaiḥ sukham |
na putro muniśārdūla svabhāvo hyeṣa jantuṣu || 16 ||
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rākṣasāḥ krūrakarmāṇaḥ kūṭayuddhaviśāradāḥ |
rāmastānyodhayatvitthaṃ yuktirevātiduḥsahā || 17 ||
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viprayukto hi rāmeṇa muhūrtamapi notsahe |
jīvituṃ jīvitākāṃkṣī ca rāmaṃ netumarhasi || 18 ||
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navavarṣasahasrāṇi mama jātasya kauśika |
duḥkhenotpāditāstvete catvāraḥ putrakā mayā || 19 ||
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pradhānabhūtasteṣveva rāmaḥ kamalalocanaḥ |
taṃ vineha trayo'pyanye dhārayanti na jīvitam || 20 ||
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sa eva rāmo bhavatā nīyate rākṣasānprati |
yadi tatputrahīnaṃ tvaṃ mṛtamevāśu viddhi mām || 21 ||
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caturṇāmātmajānāṃ hi prītiratraiva me parā |
jyeṣṭhaṃ dharmamayaṃ tasmānna rāmaṃ netumarhasi || 22 ||
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niśācarabalaṃ hantuṃ mune yadi tavepsitam |
caturaṅgasamāyuktaṃ mayā saha balaṃ naya || 23 ||
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kiṃvīryā rākṣasāste tu kasya putrāḥ kathaṃ ca te |
kiyatpramāṇāḥ ke caiva iti varṇaya me sphuṭam || 24 ||
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kathaṃ tena prakartavyaṃ teṣāṃ rāmeṇa rakṣasām |
māmakairbālakairbrahmanmayā vā kūṭayodhinām || 25 ||
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sarvaṃ me śaṃsa bhagavanyathā teṣāṃ mahāraṇe |
sthātavyaṃ duṣṭabhāgyānāṃ vīryotsiktā hi rākṣasāḥ || 26 ||
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śrūyate hi mahāvīryo rāvaṇo nāma rākṣasaḥ |
sākṣādvaiśravaṇabhrātā putro viśravaso muneḥ || 27 ||
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sa cettava makhe vighnaṃ karoti kila durmatiḥ |
tatsaṃgrāme na śaktāḥ smo vayaṃ tasya durātmanaḥ || 28 ||
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kāle kāle pṛthagbrahmanbhūrivīryavibhūtayaḥ |
bhūteṣvabhyudayaṃ yānti pralīyante ca kālataḥ || 29 ||
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adyāsmiṃstu vayaṃ kāle rāvaṇādiṣu śatruṣu |
na samarthāḥ puraḥ sthātuṃ niyatereṣa niścayaḥ || 30 ||
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tasmātprasādaṃ dharmajña kuru tvaṃ mama putrake |
mama caivālpabhāgyasya bhavānhi paradaivatam || 31 ||
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devadānavagandharvā yakṣāḥ patagapannagāḥ |
na śaktā rāvaṇaṃ yoddhuṃ kiṃ punaḥ puruṣā yudhi || 32 ||
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mahāvīryavatāṃ vīryamādatte yudhi rākṣasaḥ |
tena sārdhaṃ na śaktāḥ sma saṃyuge tasya bālakaiḥ || 33 ||
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ayamanyatamaḥ kālaḥ pelavīkṛtasajjanaḥ |
rāghavo'pi gato dainyaṃ yato vārdhakajarjaraḥ || 34 ||
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athavā lavaṇaṃ brahmanyajñaghnaṃ taṃ madhoḥ sutam |
kathayatvasuraprakhyaṃ naiva mokṣyāmi putrakam || 35 ||
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sundopasundayoścaiva putrau vaivasvatopamau |
yajñavighnakarau brūhi na te dāsyāmi putrakam || 36 ||
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atha neṣyasi cedbrahmaṃstaddhato'smyahameva te |
anyathā tu na paśyāmi śāśvataṃ jayamātmanaḥ || 37 ||
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ityuktvā mṛdu vacanaṃ raghūdvaho'sau kallole munimatasaṃśaye nimagnaḥ |
nājñāsītkṣaṇamapi niścayaṃ mahātmā prodvīcāviva jaladhau sa muhyamānaḥ || 38 ||
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