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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.51.14

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 51: Sītā condemns the deception. She connects the golden deer with her abduction, challenges Rāvaṇa to face the brothers and warns him to release her

In the sequence: she says she cannot endure long separation from Rāma

3.51.14

na hy ahaṃ tam apaśyantī bhartāraṃ vibudhopamam
utsahe śatruvaśagā prāṇān dhārayituṃ ciram

For not seeing that husband of mine, who is like a god, and fallen into the enemy's power, I cannot bear to keep hold of my life for long.

Words: na — not; hy — for; ahaṃ — I; tam — that; apaśyantī — not seeing; bhartāraṃ — husband; vibudhopamam — like a god; utsahe — I am able, I dare; śatruvaśagā — fallen into the enemy's power; prāṇān — life-breaths; dhārayituṃ — to hold, sustain; ciram — for long

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.