Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 40: Rāvaṇa Criticizes Mārīca
Text 3.40.3
यत्किलैतदयुक्तार्थं मारीच मयि कथ्यते।
वाक्यं निष्फलमत्यर्थमुप्तं बीजमिवोषरे॥
yat kilaitad ayuktārthaṁ mārīca mayi kathyate
vākyaṁ niṣphalam atyartham uptaṁ bījam ivoṣare
yat kila = which; etat = these; ayukta-artham = are inappropriate; mārīca = Mārīca; mayi = to me; kathyate = [you have] spoken; vākyam = words; niṣphalam = useless; atyartham = and extremely; uptam = sown; bījam = a seed; iva = like; ūṣare = in barren land.
Mārīca, these words which [you have] spoken to me are inappropriate and extremely useless, like a seed sown in barren land.
[Rāvaṇa told Mārīca that] his words were inappropriate because they were not in line with the mind of Mārīca’s king [Rāvaṇa].