Shloka 3.39.8
एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः (Aranyakanda 39): राक्षसस्य रामत्रासवर्णनम् / The Demon’s Account of Rama-Fear
तापसं नियताहारं सर्वभूतहिते रतम्।सोऽहं वनगतं रामं परिभूय महाबलम्।।।।तापसोऽयमिति ज्ञात्वा पूर्ववैरमनुस्मरन्।अभ्यधावं हि संक्रुद्धस्तीक्ष्ण शृङ्गो मृगाकृतिः।।।।जिघांसुरकृतप्रज्ञस्तं प्रहारमनुस्मरन्।
tāpasaṃ niyatāhāraṃ sarvabhūtahite ratam |
so ’haṃ vanagataṃ rāmaṃ paribhūya mahābalam ||
tāpaso ’yam iti jñātvā pūrvavairam anusmaran |
abhyadhāvaṃ hi saṃkruddhas tīkṣṇaśṛṅgo mṛgākṛtiḥ ||
jighāṃsur akṛtaprajñas taṃ prahāram anusmaran |
Though Rāma was mighty, he lived on measured fare and was devoted to the welfare of all beings. Disdaining him as merely a forest-ascetic, remembering my former enmity—and forgetting the lesson of his earlier blow—I charged at him in fury, taking the shape of a sharp-horned beast, intent on killing him, in foolishness.
Although Rama was very strong, he was living on restricted diet, engaged in the welfare of all beings. Treating him as a mere ascetic living in the forest, remembering my past hostility with him and disregarding his (fatal) blow, I ran towards him angrily, assuming the form of a sharp-horned animal with an intention to kill him.
The verse teaches that dharmic power is rooted in self-restraint and universal goodwill; prideful contempt for such virtue leads to self-destruction.
Marīca recalls attacking Rāma in the forest after dismissing him as only an ascetic, driven by old hostility and anger.
Rāma’s restraint (niyatāhāra) and benevolence toward all beings (sarvabhūtahita) are emphasized as marks of true strength.