भूतलादुत्थिता सा तु व्यवर्धत ममात्मजा।
वीर्यशुल्केति मे कन्या स्थापितेयमयोनिजा॥
bhū-talād utthitā sā tu vyavardhata mamātmajā
vīrya-śulketi me kanyā sthāpiteyam ayonijā
bhū-talāt = of the earth; utthitā = and having come out; sā tu = she; vyavardhata = grew up; mama ātmajā = as my daughter; vīrya-śulkā iti = because her price is strength; me = as my; kanyā = daughter; sthāpitā = has been placed [under my protection till now]; iyam = she; ayonijā = not born from anyone’s womb.
Not born from anyone’s womb and having come out of the earth, she grew up as my daughter. Because her price is strength, she has been placed [under my protection till now] as my daughter.
1 Because Sītā could be married off only to that person who had the strength to string Lord Śiva’s bow, she was still in Janaka’s home as his daughter.
Janaka nourished her while she grew up. Therefore, she is Janaka’s daughter. Sītā’s price was strength—her suitor had to [lift and] string the bow [of Lord Śiva]. Because of this, she was not given in charity to anyone.1