Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 28: Śrī Rāma Attacks Khara
Text 3.28.14
ततः सूर्यनिकाशेन रथेन महता खरः।
आससाद रणे रामं पतङ्ग इव पावकम्॥
tataḥ sūrya-nikāśena rathena mahatā kharaḥ
āsasāda raṇe rāmaṁ pataṅga iva pāvakam
tataḥ = then; sūrya-nikāśena = that resembled the sun; rathena = chariot; mahatā = [standing] on a great; kharaḥ = Khara; āsasāda = approached; raṇe = in battle; rāmam = Rāma; pataṅgaḥ = a moth; iva = just as; pāvakam = [approaches] a flame.
[Standing] on a great chariot that resembled the sun, Khara then approached Rāma in battle just as a moth [approaches] a flame.
“[Just as] a moth [approaches a flame]” indicates that [Khara] would not stop short of dying.