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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.48.13

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 48: Jaṭāyu confronts Rāvaṇa. The aged vulture condemns the abduction, demands Sītā’s release and challenges the armed ruler despite his own disadvantage

In the sequence: he argues that Rāma has not injured Rāvaṇa's city or Kingdom: Khara brought his defeat upon himself by attacking for Śūrpaṇakhā's sake

3.48.13

yadi śūrpaṇakhāhetor janasthānagataḥ kharaḥ
ativṛtto hataḥ pūrvaṃ rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā

'If Khara, stationed at Janasthāna, overstepped all bounds for Śūrpaṇakhā's sake and was earlier slain by Rāma of tireless deeds—'

Words: yadi — if; śūrpaṇakhāhetor — for the sake of Śūrpaṇakhā; janasthānagataḥ — who was at Janasthāna; kharaḥ — Khara; ativṛtto — transgressing, overstepping; hataḥ — was slain; pūrvaṃ — formerly, before; rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā — by Rāma of untiring deeds

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.