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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.48.6

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 names Rāma as her husband and condemns a ruler who takes another man's wife instead of protecting her

3.48.6

kathaṃ rājā sthito dharme paradārān parāmṛśet
rakṣaṇīyā viśeṣeṇa rājadārā mahābalaḥ
nivartaya matiṃ nīcāṃ paradārābhimarśanam

'How could a king established in dharma lay hands on another man's wife? A king's wife above all must be protected, O mighty one. Turn back your base intent to touch another's wife.'

Words: kathaṃ — how; rājā — a king; sthito — established; dharme — in dharma; paradārān — another's wife; parāmṛśet — would lay hands on, touch; rakṣaṇīyā — to be protected; viśeṣeṇa — especially; rājadārā — a king's wife; mahābalaḥ — O mighty one; nivartaya — turn back, give up; matiṃ — the intention; nīcāṃ — base, low; paradārābhimarśanam — the touching of another's wife

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.