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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.8

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 17: Śūrpaṇakhā attacks Sītā. The brothers’ teasing turns to danger, Rāma orders her disfigurement, Lakṣmaṇa cuts off her ears and nose and she flees

In the sequence: Lakṣmaṇa smiles and says that, as Rāma's dependent, he could only make her a servant's wife → he sends her back to Rāma, suggesting that Rāma will abandon Sītā for her

3.17.8

evam uktas tu saumitrī rākṣasyā vākyakovidaḥ
tataḥ śūrpaṇakhīṃ smitvā lakṣmaṇo yuktam abravīt

Thus addressed by the rākṣasī, Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa), skilled in speech, then smiling, spoke aptly to Śūrpaṇakhā:

Words: evam uktas — thus addressed; tu — and; saumitrī — Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa); rākṣasyā — by the rākṣasī; vākyakovidaḥ — skilled in speech; tataḥ — then; śūrpaṇakhīṃ — to Śūrpaṇakhā; smitvā — having smiled; lakṣmaṇo — Lakṣmaṇa; yuktam — aptly, fittingly; abravīt — spoke

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.