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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.17.9
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
3.17.9
kathaṃ dāsasya me dāsī bhāryā bhavitum icchasi
so 'ham āryeṇa paravān bhātrā kamalavarṇinī
“How do you wish to become the wife of me, a servant, and yourself a servant's wife? O lotus-hued one, I am dependent, subject to my noble brother.
Words: kathaṃ — how; dāsasya — of a servant; me — me (of me); dāsī — a servant-woman; bhāryā — wife; bhavitum — to become; icchasi — you wish; so 'ham — I who (am); āryeṇa — by the noble one; paravān — dependent, subject to another; bhātrā — by (my) brother; kamalavarṇinī — O lotus-hued one
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.