Chapter 18 — Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 18

Valmiki Ramayana — Kishkindha Kanda

Verse 18.34

यान्ति राजर्षयश्चात्र मृगयां धर्मकोविदाः। तस्मात् त्वं निहतो युद्धे मया वाणेन वानर । अयुध्यन् प्रतियुध्यन् वा यस्माच्छाखामृगोह्यसि॥ दुर्लभस्य च धर्मस्य जीवितस्य शुभस्य च। राजानो वानरश्रेष्ठ प्रदातारो न संशयः॥ तान् न हिंस्यान चाक्रोशेनाक्षिपेनाप्रियं वदेत्। देवा मानुषरूपेण चरन्त्येते महीतले।॥

yānti rājarṣayaścātra mṛgayāṃ dharmakovidāḥ| tasmāt tvaṃ nihato yuddhe mayā vāṇena vānara | ayudhyan pratiyudhyan vā yasmācchākhāmṛgohyasi|| durlabhasya ca dharmasya jīvitasya śubhasya ca| rājāno vānaraśreṣṭha pradātāro na saṃśayaḥ|| tān na hiṃsyāna cākrośenākṣipenāpriyaṃ vadet| devā mānuṣarūpeṇa carantyete mahītale|||

English Meaning

And I am justified in killing you, whether you did fight or not since you are a monkey. There is no doubt, O best monkeys, that the monarchs confer life and piety auspicious and hard to attain. It does not therefore behove any one to injure them, to blame them and to use improper words by them-since they are the celestials ranging on this earth under the semblance of man.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)