किं हि कृत्वा विषण्णस्त्वं कुतो वा भयमस्ति ते।
यत्परित्यक्तुकामस्त्वं मामनन्यपरायणाम्॥
kiṁ hi kṛtvā viṣaṇṇas tvaṁ kuto vā bhayam asti te
yat parityaktu-kāmas tvaṁ mām ananya-parāyaṇām
kim hi kṛtvā = what did do to become; viṣaṇṇaḥ = morose; tvam = You; kutaḥ vā = why; bhayam asti te = are You so frightened; yat = that; parityaktu-kāmaḥ = want to abandon; tvam = You; mām = me; ananya-parāyaṇām = who has no shelter other [than You].
What did You do to become morose? Why are You so frightened that You want to abandon me who has no shelter other [than You]?
1 In the commentary, only the second half of this verse appears. The first half has been added to provide clarity. This verse appears as Manu-smṛti 11.11 in some editions and as an additional text after 11.10 in Patrick Olivelle’s edition. It is quoted in Mitākṣarā on Yājñavalkya-smṛti 1.224.
“What did You do to become morose?” means “Which forbidden activity did You do to become morose?” Sītā considered that there was no reason for Rāma to become morose in maintaining those who need to be maintained according to this scriptural statement:
vṛddhau ca mātā-pitarau sādhvī bhāryā sutaḥ śiṣuḥ
apy akārya-śataṁ kṛtvā bhartavyā manur abravīt
“Manu has declared that one’s elderly parents, chaste wife, son and child should be maintained even by engaging in hundreds of forbidden activities.”1
Sītā-devī asked why Rāma whose anger was like the fire of destruction was frightened for there was no reason to be frightened.
Kiṁ hi kṛtvā can also indicate that Sītā-devī had the following question, “What did You think and become morose because of which and because of Your fear You now want to abandon me?”