स तु वीर्यवतां वीर्यमादत्ते युधि रावणः। तेन चाहं न शक्तोऽस्मि संयोद्धं तस्य वा बलैः॥ सबलो वा मुनिश्रेष्ठ सहितो वा ममात्मजैः। कथमप्यमरप्रख्यं संग्रामाणामकोविदम्॥ बालं मे तनयं ब्रह्मन् नैव दास्यामि पुत्रकम्।
sa tu vīryavatāṃ vīryamādatte yudhi rāvaṇaḥ| tena cāhaṃ na śakto'smi saṃyoddhaṃ tasya vā balaiḥ|| sabalo vā muniśreṣṭha sahito vā mamātmajaiḥ| kathamapyamaraprakhyaṃ saṃgrāmāṇāmakovidam|| bālaṃ me tanayaṃ brahman naiva dāsyāmi putrakam|
English Meaning
O foremost of ascetics, whether you are accompanied with my son or my forces, you will not be able to stand him. And how can I, O Brāhmaṇa, make over to you my son, of tender years, resembling an immortal, who is ignorant of warfare? I will not part with my son.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)