Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 20: Rāma Kills the Fourteen Rākṣasas
Text 3.20.4
मुहूर्तं भव सौमित्रे सीतायाः प्रत्यनन्तरः।
इमानस्या वधिष्यामि पदवीमागतानिह॥
muhūrtaṁ bhava saumitre sītāyāḥ pratyanantaraḥ
imān asyā vadhiṣyāmi padavīm āgatān iha
muhūrtam = for a while; bhava saumitre = Lakṣmaṇa; sītāyāḥ pratyanantaraḥ = stay next to Sītā; imān = these [rākṣasas]; asyāḥ = Śūrpaṇakhā’s; vadhiṣyāmi = I will kill; padavīm = path; āgatān = who have followed; iha = here.
Lakṣmaṇa, stay next to Sītā for a while! I will kill these [rākṣasas] here who have followed Śūrpaṇakhā’s path.1
Rāma told Lakṣmaṇa to stay next to Sītā-devī to protect her.1