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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.38.6

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 38: Rāvaṇa compels Mārīca. He rejects unwelcome advice, offers half his Kingdom for help and threatens immediate death if Mārīca refuses the deer disguise

In the sequence: Rāvaṇa refuses Mārīca's advice and declares that neither Suras nor asuras can change his decision to take Sītā

3.38.6

avaśyaṃ tu mayā tasya saṃyuge kharaghātinaḥ
prāṇaiḥ priyatarā sītā hartavyā tava saṃnidhau

But I must surely, in your presence, carry off Sītā, who is dearer than life to that slayer of Khara in battle.

Words: avaśyaṃ tu — but assuredly; mayā — by me; tasya — of him; saṃyuge — in battle; kharaghātinaḥ — the slayer of Khara; prāṇaiḥ priyatarā — dearer than life; sītā — Sītā; hartavyā — to be carried off; tava saṃnidhau — in your presence

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.