Shloka 4.18.2
वाली–रामसंवादः (Rama’s Justification to Vali on Rājadharma)
तं निष्प्रभमिवादित्यं मुक्ततोयमिवाम्बुदम्।उक्तवाक्यं हरिश्रेष्ठमुपशान्तमिवानलम्।।धर्मार्थगुणसम्पन्नं हरीश्वरमनुत्तमम्।अधिक्षिप्तस्तदा रामः पश्चाद्वालिनमब्रवीत्।।
taṁ niṣprabham ivādityaṁ muktatoyam ivāmbudam | uktavākyaṁ hariśreṣṭham upaśāntam ivānalam || dharmārtha-guṇa-sampannaṁ harīśvaram anuttamam | adhikṣiptas tadā rāmaḥ paścād vālinam abravīt ||
Then Rama, having been reproached, spoke afterward to Vali—the foremost of monkeys, the peerless lord rich in dharma and virtue—who appeared like the sun dimmed of radiance, a cloud emptied of rain, or a fire gone quiet.
To righteous Vali,the best of the monkeys, the lord of the monkeys, who looked like the Sun shorn of his brilliance or a rain-drained cloud or a fire that had been extinguished. Rama, under the scanner, said in reply:
Even amid conflict, the text frames discourse in terms of dharma and virtue: criticism is met with reasoned reply, not chaos.
Vali has spoken and reproached Rama; the narration describes Vali’s diminished state and introduces Rama’s ensuing explanation.
Measured response under reproach—Rama prepares to answer with principled justification.