Araṇya Kāṇḍa 54: Rāvaṇa’s deadline and threat · 3.54.2 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.54.1

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 54: Rāvaṇa’s deadline and threat. Sītā refuses him, he gives her twelve months to submit or be killed for his meal, then sends her to the aśoka grove

In the sequence: Sītā places a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa before answering

3.54.1

sā tathoktā tu vaidehī nirbhayā śokakarṣitā
tṛṇam antarataḥ kṛtvā rāvaṇaṃ pratyabhāṣata

Vaidehī, thus addressed, fearless though worn with grief, placing a blade of grass between them, replied to Rāvaṇa:

Words: sā — she; tathoktā — thus addressed; tu — but; vaidehī — Vaidehī; nirbhayā — fearless; śokakarṣitā — worn with grief; tṛṇam — a blade of grass; antarataḥ — between (them); kṛtvā — having placed; rāvaṇaṃ — to Rāvaṇa; pratyabhāṣata — replied

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.