Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 50: Jaṭāyu Challenges Rāvaṇa
Text 3.50.22
युध्यस्व यदि शूरोऽसि मुहूर्तं तिष्ठ रावण।
शयिष्यसे हतो भूमौ यथा पूर्वं खरस्तथा॥
yudhyasva yadi śūro ’si muhūrtaṁ tiṣṭha rāvaṇa
śayiṣyase hato bhūmau yathā pūrvaṁ kharas tathā
yudhyasva = and fight; yadi = if; śūraḥ = brave; asi = you are; muhūrtam tiṣṭha = stay for a while; rāvaṇa = Rāvaṇa; śayiṣyase = and lie; hataḥ = you will die; bhūmau = on the ground; yathā = like; pūrvam = before you; kharaḥ tathā = Khara.
Rāvaṇa, stay for a while and fight if you are brave. You will die and lie on the ground, like Khara before you.
“Stay for a while and fight” means “Don’t run away; fight with me.”
Another meaning of this verse is: “If you are a hero, stay for a while till Rāma comes and fight with Him. You will lie on the ground after He kills you.”