न तं वध्यमहं मन्ये सर्वैर्देवासुरैरपि।
अयं तस्य वधोपायस्तं ममैकमनाः शृणु॥
na taṁ vadhyam ahaṁ manye sarvair devāsurair api
ayaṁ tasya vadhopāyas taṁ mamaika-manāḥ śṛṇu
na = not; tam = that He; vadhyam = is capable of being killed; aham = I; manye = think; sarvaiḥ deva-asuraiḥ = by all the devas and asuras [put together]; api = even; ayam = this; tasya vadha-upāyaḥ = is the means to kill Him; tam = of it; mama = from me; eka-manāḥ = with an attentive mind; śṛṇu = hear.
I think that He is not capable of being killed even by all the devas and asuras [put together]. This is the means to kill Him. With an attentive mind, hear of it from me.
1 It is possible for the devas and asuras to set aside any mutual animosity to work together for a common goal. Akampana considered this possibility while speaking this verse and yet he recognized that Lord Rāma could not be killed by the combined endeavors of the devas and asuras.
GLOSS. The expression “by all the devas and asuras [put together]” is proper because at the time of the churning of the [milk] ocean, the devas and asuras were seen to be on friendly terms and hence their animosity was not constant.1