Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 118: Conversation Between Sītā and Anasūyā
Text 2.118.13
ततोऽनसूया संहृष्टा श्रुत्वोक्तं सीतया वचः।
शिरस्याघ्राय चोवाच मैथिलीं हर्षयन्त्युत॥
tato ’nasūyā saṁhṛṣṭā śrutvoktaṁ sītayā vacaḥ
śirasyāghrāya covāca maithilīṁ harṣayanty uta
tataḥ anasūyā = Anasūyā-devī; saṁhṛṣṭā = became very happy; śrutvā = upon hearing; uktam = words; sītayā = Sītā-devī’s; vacaḥ = the following words; śirasi = her head; āghrāya ca = having smelled; uvāca = Anasūyā spoke; maithilīm harṣayanti uta = to make Maithilī happy.
Upon hearing Sītā-devī’s words, Anasūyā-devī became very happy. Having smelled her head, Anasūyā spoke the following words to make Maithilī happy.1
1 Smelling the head is a standard Vedic gesture of parental affection.