Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 41: Mārīca Again Criticizes Rāvaṇa
Text 3.41.14
स्वामिना प्रतिकूलेन प्रजास्तीक्ष्णेन रावण।
रक्ष्यमाणा न वर्धन्ते मेषा गोमायुना यथा॥
svāminā pratikūlena prajās tīkṣṇena rāvaṇa
rakṣyamāṇā na vardhante meṣā gomāyunā yathā
svāminā = master; pratikūlena = whom they dislike; prajāḥ = citizens; tīkṣṇena = a harsh; rāvaṇa = Rāvaṇa; rakṣyamāṇāḥ = placed under; na vardhante = don’t flourish; meṣāḥ = sheep; gomāyunā = under a wolf; yathā = like.
Like sheep under a wolf, citizens placed under a harsh master whom they dislike don’t flourish, O Rāvaṇa!
It is well known that a wolf is a killer of sheep.