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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.52.16

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 52: Sītā drops her ornaments. She drops her silk and ornaments among five monkeys, Rāvaṇa confines her in Laṅkā and sends agents to Janasthāna

In the sequence: he orders the women guarding her to admit no visitors without permission, provide whatever valuables or clothing she wants, and speak no unkind word to her on pain of death. Rāvaṇa leaves the apartments and summons eight powerful rākṣasas

3.52.16

yā ca vakṣyati vaidehīṃ vacanaṃ kiṃ cid apriyam
ajñānād yadi vā jñānān na tasyā jīvitaṃ priyam

'And whoever speaks any unkind word to Vaidehī, whether from ignorance or knowingly—her life is forfeit.'

Words: yā — whoever (fem.); ca — and; vakṣyati — will speak; vaidehīṃ — to Vaidehī; vacanaṃ — word; kiṃ — any; cid — (any) at all; apriyam — unkind; ajñānād — from ignorance; yadi — if; vā — or; jñānān — knowingly; na — not; tasyā — her; jīvitaṃ — life; priyam — (is) dear, (is to be) spared

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.