# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 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*

Portion: Sītā’s resistance and confinement in Laṅkā · Verses: 32 · Ref format: 3.54.<verse>

## Sequence

- Sītā places a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa before answering (54.1)
- she reaffirms her marriage and says Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa will kill him → had he attempted the abduction in Rāma's presence, he would already have died like Khara (54.2–7)
- his protection against Suras and asuras will not save him from Rāma, and Laṅkā will suffer for his deed (54.8–17)
- she refuses to dishonor herself even if he binds or kills her, then falls silent (54.18–20)
- Rāvaṇa threatens that she has twelve months to submit; otherwise his cooks will cut her up for his morning meal (54.21–22)
- he orders the rākṣasīs to break her resistance (54.23–26)
- they must take her to the aśoka grove, guard her closely, and alternate threats with soothing words to force compliance (54.27–28)
- they lead her into the flowering grove → despite its beauty, she finds no comfort and collapses in fear and grief while remembering Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa (54.29–32).

## Verses

**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:

**3.54.2**  
rājā daśaratho nāma dharmasetur ivācalaḥ  
satyasandhaḥ parijñāto yasya putraḥ sa rāghavaḥ  
There was a king named Daśaratha, unshakable as a dyke of dharma, true to his word and renowned—whose son is that Rāghava.

**3.54.3**  
rāmo nāma sa dharmātmā triṣu lokeṣu viśrutaḥ  
dīrghabāhur viśālākṣo daivataṃ sa patir mama  
Rāma by name, righteous of soul, renowned in the three worlds, long-armed and wide-eyed—that husband of mine is to me a god.

**3.54.4**  
ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule jātaḥ siṃhaskandho mahādyutiḥ  
lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā yas te prāṇāṃ hariṣyati  
Born in the line of the Ikṣvākus, lion-shouldered, of great splendour—he, together with his brother Lakṣmaṇa, will take your life.

**3.54.5**  
pratyakṣaṃ yady ahaṃ tasya tvayā syāṃ dharṣitā balāt  
śayitā tvaṃ hataḥ saṃkhye janasthāne yathā kharaḥ  
Had I been assaulted by you by force before his very eyes, you would lie slain in battle, as Khara was slain in Janasthāna.

**3.54.6**  
ya ete rākṣasāḥ proktā ghorarūpā mahābalāḥ  
rāghave nirviṣāḥ sarve suparṇe pannagā yathā  
These rākṣasas you have named, of terrible form and great strength—before Rāghava they are all venomless, as serpents before Garuḍa.

**3.54.7**  
tasya jyāvipramuktās te śarāḥ kāñcanabhūṣaṇāḥ  
śarīraṃ vidhamiṣyanti gaṅgākūlam ivormayaḥ  
His arrows, gold-adorned, loosed from the bowstring, will tear your body apart as waves tear the bank of the Gaṅgā.

**3.54.8**  
asurair vā surair vā tvaṃ yady avadho 'si rāvaṇa  
utpādya sumahad vairaṃ jīvaṃs tasya na mokṣyase  
Even if you are unslayable by asuras or gods, Rāvaṇa, having stirred up so great an enmity, you will not escape him alive.

**3.54.9**  
sa te jīvitaśeṣasya rāghavo 'ntakaro balī  
paśor yūpagatasyeva jīvitaṃ tava durlabham  
That mighty Rāghava will make an end of what remains of your life; your life is hard to keep, like that of a beast bound to the sacrificial post.

**3.54.10**  
yadi paśyet sa rāmas tvāṃ roṣadīptena cakṣuṣā  
rakṣas tvam adya nirdagdho gaccheḥ sadyaḥ parābhavam  
If that Rāma should look at you with an eye blazing with rage, O demon, you would be burnt to ashes this day and go at once to ruin.

**3.54.11**  
yaś candraṃ nabhaso bhūmau pātayen nāśayeta vā  
sāgaraṃ śoṣayed vāpi sa sītāṃ mocayed iha  
He who could cast the moon from the sky to the earth, or destroy it, or dry up the ocean—he might set Sītā free here.

**3.54.12**  
gatāyus tvaṃ gataśrīko gatasattvo gatendriyaḥ  
laṅkā vaidhavyasaṃyuktā tvatkṛtena bhaviṣyati  
Your life is spent, your fortune gone, your strength gone, your senses gone; through your doing, Laṅkā will be made a widow.

**3.54.13**  
na te pāpam idaṃ karma sukhodarkaṃ bhaviṣyati  
yāhaṃ nītā vinā bhāvaṃ patipārśvāt tvayā vanāt  
This evil deed of yours will not end in happiness—I who have been carried off by you against my will from my husband's side, from the forest.

**3.54.14**  
sa hi daivatasaṃyukto mama bhartā mahādyutiḥ  
nirbhayo vīryam āśritya śūnye vasati daṇḍake  
For that husband of mine, of great splendour, endowed with divine power, relying on his valour, dwells fearless in the empty Daṇḍaka.

**3.54.15**  
sa te darpaṃ balaṃ vīryam utsekaṃ ca tathāvidham  
apaneṣyati gātrebhyaḥ śaravarṣeṇa saṃyuge  
He will strip from your limbs, with a rain of arrows in battle, your pride, your strength, your valour, and such arrogance as this.

**3.54.16**  
yadā vināśo bhūtānāṃ dṛśyate kālacoditaḥ  
tadā kārye pramādyanti narāḥ kālavaśaṃ gatāḥ  
When the destruction of creatures, driven by Time, draws near, then men fallen under Time's sway grow heedless in their duty.

**3.54.17**  
māṃ pradhṛṣya sa te kālaḥ prāpto 'yaṃ rakṣasādhama  
ātmano rākṣasānāṃ ca vadhāyāntaḥpurasya ca  
By assaulting me, this your death-hour has arrived, vilest of demons—for the destruction of yourself, of the rākṣasas, and of your harem.

**3.54.18**  
na śakyā yajñamadhyasthā vediḥ srugbhāṇḍa maṇḍitā  
dvijātimantrasaṃpūtā caṇḍālenāvamarditum  
An altar standing in the midst of a sacrifice, adorned with the ladle and vessels and hallowed by the mantras of the twice-born, cannot be defiled by a caṇḍāla.

**3.54.19**  
idaṃ śarīraṃ niḥsaṃjñaṃ bandha vā ghātayasva vā  
nedaṃ śarīraṃ rakṣyaṃ me jīvitaṃ vāpi rākṣasa  
na hi śakṣyāmy upakrośaṃ pṛthivyāṃ dātum ātmanaḥ  
This body of mine is beyond feeling—bind it or slay it as you will. I need guard neither this body nor my life, rākṣasa; for I could never bring reproach upon myself in this world.

**3.54.20**  
evam uktvā tu vaidehī kroddhāt suparuṣaṃ vacaḥ  
rāvaṇaṃ maithilī tatra punar novāca kiṃ cana  
Having thus spoken, in anger, these very harsh words to Rāvaṇa, Vaidehī, Maithilī, then said nothing further.

**3.54.21**  
sītāyā vacanaṃ śrutvā paruṣaṃ romaharṣaṇam  
pratyuvāca tataḥ sītāṃ bhayasaṃdarśanaṃ vacaḥ  
Hearing Sītā's harsh, hair-raising speech, he then answered Sītā with words that showed forth a threat:

**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.'

**3.54.23**  
ity uktvā paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ rāvaṇaḥ śatrurāvaṇaḥ  
rākṣasīś ca tataḥ kruddha idaṃ vacanam abravīt  
Having thus spoken harsh words, Rāvaṇa, the tormentor of foes, then in anger said this to the rākṣasa-women:

**3.54.24**  
śīghram evaṃ hi rākṣasyo vikṛtā ghoradarśanāḥ  
darpam asyā vineṣyantu māṃsaśoṇitabhojanāḥ  
'Quickly, you rākṣasa-women, misshapen and dreadful to behold, feeders on flesh and blood—rid her of her pride!'

**3.54.25**  
vacanād eva tās tasya vikṛtā ghoradarśanāḥ  
kṛtaprāñjalayo bhūtvā maithilīṃ paryavārayan  
At his very word, those misshapen, dreadful-looking women, making the gesture of joined palms, surrounded Maithilī.

**3.54.26**  
sa tāḥ provāca rājā tu rāvaṇo ghoradarśanaḥ  
pracālya caraṇotkarṣair dārayann iva medinīm  
And the king Rāvaṇa, dreadful to behold, said to them, stamping so with the pounding of his feet as if to split the earth:

**3.54.27**  
aśokavanikāmadhye maithilī nīyatām iti  
tatreyaṃ rakṣyatāṃ gūḍham uṣmābhiḥ parivāritā  
'Let Maithilī be taken into the midst of the aśoka grove; there let her be kept closely guarded, surrounded by you.'

**3.54.28**  
tatraināṃ tarjanair ghoraiḥ punaḥ sāntvaiś ca maithilīm  
ānayadhvaṃ vaśaṃ sarvā vanyāṃ gajavadhūm iva  
'There, by dread threats and again by soothing words, all of you bring Maithilī under control, as one tames a wild cow-elephant.'

**3.54.29**  
iti pratisamādiṣṭā rākṣasyo rāvaṇena tāḥ  
aśokavanikāṃ jagmur maithilīṃ parigṛhya tām  
Thus commanded by Rāvaṇa, those rākṣasa-women, taking hold of Maithilī, went to the aśoka grove,

**3.54.30**  
sarvakāmaphalair vṛkṣair nānāpuṣpaphalair vṛtām  
sarvakālamadaiś cāpi dvijaiḥ samupasevitām  
a grove filled with trees bearing every desired fruit and manifold flowers and fruits, and frequented by birds intoxicated in every season.

**3.54.31**  
sā tu śokaparītāṅgī maithilī janakātmajā  
rākṣasī vaśam āpannā vyāghrīṇāṃ hariṇī yathā  
But Maithilī, Janaka's daughter, her limbs overwhelmed with grief, fell into the power of the rākṣasa-women like a doe among tigresses.

**3.54.32**  
na vindate tatra tu śarma maithilī virūpanetrābhir atīva tarjitā  
patiṃ smarantī dayitaṃ ca devaraṃ vicetanābhūd bhayaśokapīḍitā  
There Maithilī found no comfort, sorely threatened by the deformed-eyed demonesses; remembering her beloved husband and her brother-in-law, she swooned, tormented by fear and grief.