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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.37.19

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 37: Mārīca’s second defeat and terror. His deer-form attack costs two companions, he abandons violence but still sees and fears Rāma everywhere

In the sequence: he tells Rāvaṇa that his knowledge of Rāma's power comes from experience and repeats that ignoring the warning will cost Rāvaṇa and his relatives their lives.

3.37.19

ahaṃ tasya prabhāvajño na yuddhaṃ tena te kṣamam
raṇe rāmeṇa yudhyasva kṣamāṃ vā kuru rākṣasa
na te rāmakathā kāryā yadi māṃ draṣṭum icchasi

I know his power; war with him is not fitting for you. Either fight Rāma in battle, or make peace, O rākṣasa; but you must not talk to me of Rāma, if you wish to see me (alive).

Words: ahaṃ — I; tasya — his; prabhāvajño — knowing (his) power; na yuddhaṃ — war (is) not; tena — with him; te — for you; kṣamam — fitting, advisable; raṇe — in battle; rāmeṇa — with Rāma; yudhyasva — fight; kṣamāṃ vā kuru — or make peace, forbearance; rākṣasa — O rākṣasa; na te — not by you; rāmakathā — talk of Rāma; kāryā — to be made, done; yadi — if; māṃ — me; draṣṭum — to see; icchasi — you wish

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.