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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.48.25

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 challenges Rāvaṇa to fight rather than flee while the brothers are absent → he vows to serve Rāma and Daśaratha even at the cost of his life.

3.48.25

na hi me jīvamānasya nayiṣyasi śubhām imām
sītāṃ kamalapatrākṣīṃ rāmasya mahaṣīṃ priyām

'For while I yet live, you shall not lead away this lovely Sītā, the lotus-eyed, beloved queen of Rāma.'

Words: na — not; hi — indeed; me — while I (live); jīvamānasya — (of me) living; nayiṣyasi — you will lead away; śubhām — the fair; imām — this; sītāṃ — Sītā; kamalapatrākṣīṃ — lotus-petal-eyed; rāmasya — of Rāma; mahaṣīṃ — queen (mahiṣī); priyām — beloved

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.