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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.78.3

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 78: Guha prepares to resist Bharata. Seeing the army, he readies five hundred armed boats to protect Rāma and approaches Bharata to learn his intentions

In the sequence: recognizing Bharata's banner, he fears an attack on his people or an attempt to kill Rāma

2.78.3

sa eṣa hi mahākāyaḥ kovidāradhvajo rathe
bandhayiṣyati vā dāśān atha vāsmān vadhiṣyati

This very man of huge frame, with the kovidāra tree for his banner on his chariot, will either put us fishermen in chains or else slay us.

Words: sa eṣa hi — this very one; mahākāyaḥ — of huge frame; kovidāradhvajo — having the kovidāra tree as his banner; rathe — on his chariot; bandhayiṣyati — will bind, put in chains; vā — either; dāśān — the fishermen; atha — or; vāsmān — or else us; vadhiṣyati — will slay

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.