Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 9: Sītā Requests Rāma to Give up His Weapons
Text 3.9.18
तस्मिंस्तदाश्रमपदे निशितः खङ्ग उत्तमः।
स न्यासविधिना दत्तः पुण्ये तपसि तिष्ठतः॥
tasmiṁs tadāśrama-pade niśitaḥ khaḍga uttamaḥ
sa nyāsa-vidhinā dattaḥ puṇye tapasi tiṣṭhataḥ
tasmin = at that; tadā = at that time; āśrama-pade = āśrama; niśitaḥ = sharp; khaḍgaḥ = sword; uttamaḥ = excellent; saḥ = that; nyāsa-vidhinā dattaḥ = was deposited; puṇye = in pious; tapasi = austerity; tiṣṭhataḥ = of the saint who engaged.
At that time, that excellent sharp sword was deposited at that āśrama of the saint who engaged in pious austerity.1
Deposit (nyāsa) is described thus:
rāja-corādika-bhayād dāyādānāṁ ca vañcanāt
sthāpyate’nya-gṛhe dravyaṁ nyāsaḥ sa parikīrtitaḥ
“A deposit is described as an item placed in someone else’s home out of fear of the government, thieves and so on or to cheat one’s inheritors.”1