Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 41: Mārīca Again Criticizes Rāvaṇa
Text 3.41.4
शत्रवस्तव सुव्यक्तं हीनवीर्या निशाचराः।
इच्छन्ति त्वां विनश्यन्तमुपरुद्धं बलीयसा॥
śatravas tava suvyaktaṁ hīna-vīryā niśācarāḥ
icchanti tvāṁ vinaśyantam uparuddhaṁ balīyasā
śatravaḥ = who are hostile; tava = to you; suvyaktam = it is very evident that; hīna-vīryāḥ = and who are devoid of heroism; niśācarāḥ = night-rangers; icchanti = want; tvām = you; vinaśyantam = to be destroyed; uparuddham = because you have been attacked; balīyasā = by Rāma who is stronger [than you].
It is very evident that night-rangers who are hostile to you and who are devoid of heroism want you to be destroyed because you have been attacked by Rāma who is stronger [than you].
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: na kevalaṁ śatravaḥ tatrāpi kṣudrā evedaṁ kāryam icchantīty āha keneti.
Mārīca indicates that these night-rangers hostile to Rāvaṇa wanted him to be destroyed by his opposition to Śrī Rāma.
Those who desired thus were not just hostile to Rāvaṇa; they were also petty. With this in mind, Mārīca speaks the next verse.1
GLOSS. While the previous and later verses speaks of “who has” in the singular number, “who are hostile” is in the plural number because it is possible for there to be many who induce evil ideas and who are fit to be destroyed.