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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.44.26

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 44: Rāvaṇa’s parivrājaka disguise. He approaches Sītā with Vedic words and praise of her beauty, she receives him as a brāhmaṇa guest

In the sequence: he says the dangerous forest is no place for her and that palaces, gardens, fine clothing, and a suitable husband would better match her

3.44.26

kā tvaṃ bhavasi rudrāṇāṃ marutāṃ vā śucismite
vasūnāṃ vā varārohe devatā pratibhāsi me

Who are you? Of the Rudras, or of the Maruts, O bright-smiling one, or of the Vasus, O lovely one? You seem to me a deity.

Words: kā — who; tvaṃ — you; bhavasi — are; rudrāṇāṃ — of the Rudras; marutāṃ — of the Maruts; vā — or; śucismite — O bright-smiling one; vasūnāṃ — of the Vasus; vā — or; varārohe — O lovely one; devatā — a deity; pratibhāsi — you appear; me — to me

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.