Canto 3: Araṇya-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His PromisesText 3.10.3
Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 10: Rāma Asserts His Unbreakable Resolution to Fulfill His Promises
Text 3.10.3
किंतु वक्ष्याम्यहं देवि त्वयैवोक्तमिदं वचः।
क्षत्रियैर्धार्यते चापो नार्तशब्दो भवेदिति॥
kintu vakṣyāmy ahaṁ devi tvayaivoktam idaṁ vacaḥ
kṣatriyair dhāryate cāpo nārta-śabdo bhaved iti
kintu = but; vakṣyāmi = will speak; aham = I; devi = O goddess; tvayā = that you; eva = yourself; uktam = had spoken; idam = these; vacaḥ = words; kṣatriyaiḥ = by kṣatriyas; dhāryate = is held; cāpaḥ = the bow; na = no; ārta-śabdaḥ = sound of distress; bhavet iti = so that there is.
O goddess, but I will speak these words that you yourself had spoken: “The bow is held by kṣatriyas so that there is no sound of distress.”
Lord Rāma implies the following here: It was Sītā who had told Rāma that kṣatriyas wield a bow so that there is no sound of distress. The sages [who had approached Rāmacandra for protection from the rākṣasas] were in distress. Therefore, their obstructors should be killed.
Sītā-devī might object, “As I have said, You should only protect the distressed by removing their obstructors. You should not kill those who have not offended [You].” Anticipating this, Lord Rāma spoke the next verse to point out that those who had surrendered unto Him were like His own life-airs and that an offense unto them was an offense unto Him.