Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 38: Mārīca Instructs Rāvaṇa
Text 3.38.20
नेच्छता तात मां हन्तुं तदा वीरेण रक्षितः।
रामस्य शरवेगेन निरस्तोऽहमचेतनः॥
necchatā tāta māṁ hantuṁ tadā vīreṇa rakṣitaḥ
rāmasya śara-vegena nirasto ’ham acetanaḥ
na icchatā = not wanting; tāta = dear Rāvaṇa; mām = me; hantum = to kill; tadā = at that time; vīreṇa = that hero; rakṣitaḥ = protected me; rāmasya = Rāma’s; śara-vegena = by the force of arrow; nirastaḥ = was neutralized; aham = I; acetanaḥ = and became unconscious.
Dear Rāvaṇa, not wanting to kill me at that time, that hero protected me.1 I was neutralized by the force of Rāma’s arrow and became unconscious.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: necchatā anicchatā. na-śabdasya “sup-supā” iti samāsaḥ.
It is implied here that Mārīca didn’t understand why Rāma did not want [to kill him; but] He was personally capable of killing [Mārīca].
Mārīca had become unconscious and inert.