Shloka 3.26.19
दूषणवधः (The Slaying of Dūṣaṇa and the Rout of Khara’s Host)
दृष्ट्वैवापततस्तूर्णं राघवस्सायकैश्शितैः।।।।तीक्ष्णाग्रैः प्रतिजग्राह सम्प्राप्तानतिथीनिव।
dṛṣṭvaivāpatatas tūrṇaṃ rāghavaḥ sāyakaiḥ śitaiḥ |
tīkṣṇāgraiḥ pratijagrāha samprāptān atithīn iva ||
Seeing them rush in swiftly, Rāghava met them at once with sharp, keen-pointed arrows—‘receiving’ the attackers as though they were arriving guests.
On seeing them rushing to attack him with sharp weapons, Rama received them quickly with pointed arrows as though they were guests.
Maryādā and mastery: even in combat, Rāma’s response is framed through the cultural ethic of ‘receiving’—orderly, deliberate, and appropriate to the moment.
As the three commanders charge, Rāma immediately counters with volleys of sharp arrows.
Presence of mind and disciplined skill—swift action aligned with duty, not rage.