शुकवाक्यं (Śuka’s Report on the Vānara Host) / Śuka Describes the Allied Forces to Rāvaṇa
इमांमहाराजसमीक्ष्यवाहिनीमुपस्थितांप्रज्वलितग्रहोपमाम् ।ततःप्रयत्नःपरमोविधीयतांयथाजयस्स्यान्नपरैःपराजयः ।।6.28.44।।
imāṃ mahārāja samīkṣya vāhinīm upasthitāṃ prajvalita-grahopamām |
tataḥ prayatnaḥ paramo vidhīyatāṃ yathā jayaḥ syān na paraiḥ parājayaḥ ||6.28.44||
Oh gran rey, al contemplar este ejército dispuesto tan cerca—terrible como un astro en llamas—empréndase el esfuerzo supremo, para que la victoria sea nuestra y no la derrota a manos del enemigo.
"O Great King! Observing the ocean of army close by their appearing cruel like a blazing planet, make supreme efforts to be victorious and not to be defeated in the hands of the enemy."।। ityārṣēvālmīkīyēśrīmadrāmāyaṇēādikāvyēyuddhakāṇḍēaṣṭāviṅśassargaḥ ।।This is the end of the twenty eighth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.
It frames war as requiring disciplined, purposeful effort aimed at a just outcome—securing victory through resolve rather than falling into ruin through negligence—echoing the dharmic ideal of steadfast duty (kartavya) in crisis.
Satya appears as clear-eyed realism: the speaker urges the king to acknowledge the true danger of the opposing force and respond with sincere, maximum exertion, rather than self-deception that would lead to defeat.