राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्माणः कूटयुद्धविशारदाः । रामस्तान् योधयत्वित्थं युक्तिरेवाऽतिदुःसहा ॥ १७ ॥
rākṣasāḥ krūrakarmāṇaḥ kūṭayuddhaviśāradāḥ | rāmastān yōdhayatvitthaṁ yuktirēvā’tiduḥsahā || 17 ||
Translation
"The demons are cruel in their deeds and skilled in treacherous warfare. That Rāma should fight them: the very thought is more than I can bear.
Word by word
- rākṣasāḥ
- the demons
- krūra
- cruel
- karmāṇaḥ
- in their deeds
- kūṭa
- treacherous
- yuddha
- in warfare
- viśāradāḥ
- skilled
- rāmas
- (rāmaḥ) Rāma
- tān
- them
- yōdhayatu
- should fight
- itthaṁ
- so
- yuktir
- (yuktiḥ) the very thought
- ēva
- indeed
- ati
- more than
- duḥsahā
- I can bear
Meaning
The rākṣasas fight with magic and deceit (kūṭa-yuddha), not by the rules of war.