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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.38.8

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: he lectures him on a minister's obligation to address a King respectfully and avoid unwelcome words

3.38.8

doṣaṃ guṇaṃ vā saṃpṛṣṭas tvam evaṃ vaktum arhasi
apāyaṃ vāpy upāyaṃ vā kāryasyāsya viniścane

When consulted about the fault or the merit, you ought to speak fittingly—about the drawback or the means in deciding this undertaking.

Words: doṣaṃ — the fault; guṇaṃ vā — or the merit; saṃpṛṣṭas — when consulted; tvam — you; evaṃ — thus, fittingly; vaktum arhasi — ought to speak; apāyaṃ — the drawback, means of ruin; vāpy — or; upāyaṃ vā — or the means, expedient; kāryasyāsya — of this task; viniścane — in the determination, deciding

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.