Shloka 4.17.46
वालिवधः — Vālī’s Fall and Dharma-Accusation (Kiṣkindhā Sarga 17)
दृश्यमानस्तु युद्ध्येथा मया यदि नृपात्मज।अद्य वैवस्वतं देवं पश्येस्त्वं निहतो मया।।
dṛśyamānas tu yuddhyethā mayā yadi nṛpātmaja | adya vaivasvataṃ devaṃ paśyes tvaṃ nihato mayā ||
O prince, had you fought me openly, face to face, then today—slain by me—you would have seen Vaivasvata, the lord of death.
'O prince! had you fought me face to face you would have seen Vaivasvata, the lord of death today (you would have been killed by me).
It invokes the ideal of open and fair combat as part of kṣatriya-dharma—valor should be tested transparently, not through concealment.
Vāli claims that in a direct duel he would have defeated Rāma, stressing that the manner of killing matters ethically.
Martial fairness and courage—meeting an opponent openly rather than relying on hidden advantage.