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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.54.22

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: Rāvaṇa threatens that she has twelve months to submit; otherwise his cooks will cut her up for his morning meal

3.54.22

śṛṇu maithili madvākyaṃ māsān dvādaśa bhāmini
kālenānena nābhyeṣi yadi māṃ cāruhāsini
tatas tvāṃ prātarāśārthaṃ sūdāś chetsyanti leśaśaḥ

'Hear my word, Maithilī: twelve months (I grant you), proud lady. If within this time you do not come to me, sweet-smiling one, then the cooks shall cut you up piecemeal for my morning meal.'

Words: śṛṇu — hear; maithili — O Maithilī; madvākyaṃ — my word; māsān — months; dvādaśa — twelve; bhāmini — O proud lady; kālenānena — within this time; nābhyeṣi — you do not come; yadi — if; māṃ — to me; cāruhāsini — O sweet-smiling one; tatas — then; tvāṃ — you; prātarāśārthaṃ — for the morning meal; sūdāś — the cooks; chetsyanti — will cut up; leśaśaḥ — piecemeal, into bits

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.