Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 71: Kabandha’s Past Life
Text 3.71.26
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण वाक्यं दनुरनुत्तमम्।
प्रोवाच कुशलो वक्तुं वक्तारमपि राघवम्॥
evam uktas tu rāmeṇa vākyaṁ danur anuttamam
provāca kuśalo vaktuṁ vaktāram api rāghavam
evam = thus; uktaḥ tu = when spoke; rāmeṇa = Rāmacandra; vākyam = words; danuḥ = the dānava; anuttamam = the [following] excellent; provāca = spoke; kuśalaḥ = who was clever; vaktum = in speech; vaktāram = was [an eloquent] speaker [Himself]; api = though; rāghavam = Rāghava.
When Rāmacandra spoke thus, the dānava who was clever in speech spoke the [following] excellent words, though Rāghava was [an eloquent] speaker [Himself].