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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.53.17

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 53: Rāvaṇa’s offer to Sītā. He displays his palace, promises wealth and authority over his wives, claims rescue is impossible and bows at her feet

In the sequence: he offers her authority over his other wives and urges her to accept him

3.53.17

bahūnāṃ strīsahasrāṇāṃ mama yo 'sau parigrahaḥ
tāsāṃ tvam īśvarī sīte mama bhāryā bhava priye

Of the many thousands of women who are my consorts, you shall be the mistress, Sītā; become my wife, beloved.

Words: bahūnāṃ — of many; strīsahasrāṇāṃ — thousands of women; mama — my; yo — which; 'sau — that (household); parigrahaḥ — possession, retinue, consorts; tāsāṃ — of them; tvam — you; īśvarī — mistress; sīte — O Sītā; mama — my; bhāryā — wife; bhava — become; priye — O beloved

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.