Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 31, Shloka 9
मायाशिरोप्रदर्शनम्
The Display of the Illusory Head of Rāma
एवमुक्तस्तथेत्याहविद्युज्जिह्वोनिशाचरः ।दर्शयामासतांमायांसुप्रयुक्तांसरावणे ।।।।तस्यतुष्टोऽभवद्राजाप्रददौचविभूषणम् ।
evam uktaḥ tathety āha vidyujjihvo niśācaraḥ |
darśayāmāsa tāṃ māyāṃ suprayuktāṃ sa rāvaṇe ||
tasya tuṣṭo 'bhavad rājā pradadau ca vibhūṣaṇam |
そう命じられると、夜行のヴィデュッジフヴァは「そのとおりに」と答え、巧みに施した幻術（マーヤー）をラーヴァナに示した。王は満足し、飾りを授けた。
Thereafter, thinking about what is appropriate to do, unassailable Ravana dispensed his ministers and entered his own residence.
FAQs
It warns that rewarding wrongdoing normalizes adharma. Satya is undermined when deception is incentivized with gifts and praise.
Vidyujjihva agrees, performs the illusion, and Rāvaṇa rewards him—confirming the deception will be used against Sītā.
The verse highlights skill (kauśala) divorced from ethics—ability becomes harmful when not guided by dharma.