← 3.53.31 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 53: Rāvaṇa’s offer to Sītā · 3.53.33 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.53.32

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 dismisses her concern about violating dharma and portrays acceptance as her destined good fortune

3.53.32

ārṣo 'yaṃ daivaniṣyando yas tvām abhigamiṣyati
etau pādau mayā snigdhau śirobhiḥ paripīḍitau

This that comes to you is a sanctioned course, a working of fate. These two tender feet of yours are pressed by me with my heads (in homage).

Words: ārṣo — sanctioned by the seers; 'yaṃ — this; daivaniṣyando — a working of fate; yas — which; tvām — you; abhigamiṣyati — will come to, befall; etau — these two; pādau — feet; mayā — by me; snigdhau — tender, smooth; śirobhiḥ — with (my) heads; paripīḍitau — pressed, clasped

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.