Rāvaṇa asserts that Mārīca’s words would’t stop him from kidnapping Sītā in order to fight with Rāma.

Rāvaṇa considers that he can’t fight with Rāma [who he imagines is] as described in the second half of this verse and so he implies that he will relatiate by stealing His wife—to insult Him.

In the next verse, Rāvaṇa explains why he referred to Rāma by using the word mūrkhasya.¹

NOTE. In Bhagavad-gītā 9.1, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa refers to Arjuna as anasūyave (“nonenvious”) indicating that Arjuna was not envious or hateful of Him. This is a prerequisite to properly understanding the Supreme Lord and His teachings to the conditioned souls. Prabhupāda remarks:

The Sanskrit word anasūyave in this verse is also very significant. Generally the commentators, even if they are highly scholarly, are all envious of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even the most erudite scholars write on Bhagavad-gītā very inaccurately. Because they are envious of Kṛṣṇa, their commentaries are useless. The commentaries given by devotees of the Lord are bona fide. No one can explain Bhagavad-gītā or give perfect knowledge of Kṛṣṇa if he is envious. One who criticizes the character of Kṛṣṇa without knowing Him is a fool. So such commentaries should be very carefully avoided. For one who understands that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the pure and transcendental Personality, these chapters will be very beneficial.

Similarly one who criticizes the character of Kṛṣṇa’s plenary expansions such as Rāmacandra, is also nothing but a fool. One should avoid hearing from the academic and non-academic scholars who exhibit such foolishness. One should rather study Lord Śrī Rāma’s character from the Rāmāyaṇa and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam if at all he is interested in attaining liberation from material entanglement. To benefit ourselves, let us follow Vibhīṣaṇa, not Rāvaṇa.