Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 16: Lakṣmaṇa’s Description of Winter
Text 3.16.8
सेवमाने दृढं सूर्ये दिशमन्तकसेविताम्।
विहीनतिलकेव स्त्री नोत्तरा दिक्प्रकाशते॥
sevamāne dṛḍhaṁ sūrye diśam antaka-sevitām
vihīna-tilakeva strī nottarā dik prakāśate
sevamāne dṛḍham = veers; sūrye = when the sun; diśam antaka-sevitām = towards the south; vihīna-tilakā = without her sindūra and other auspicious markings on her forehead; iva = like; strī = a woman; na uttarā dik = the north; prakāśate = is devoid of splendor.
When the sun veers towards the south, the north is devoid of splendor, like a woman without her sindūra and other auspicious markings on her forehead.1
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: antaka-sevitāṁ dakṣiṇām ity arthaḥ. Technical note: antaka-sevitāṁ yama-rājādhiṣṭhitāṁ diśam. vihīna-tilakā sindūrādi-rahitā.
By this simile (utprekṣālaṅkāra), it is hinted that the south becomes filled with splendor like [a woman] with her sindūra and other auspicious markings on her forehead.