अपूर्वी भार्यया चार्थी तरुणः प्रियदर्शनः।
अनुरूपश्च ते भर्ता रूपस्यास्य भविष्यति॥
apūrvī bhāryayā cārthī taruṇaḥ priya-darśanaḥ
anurūpaś ca te bhartā rūpasyāsya bhaviṣyati
apūrvī bhāryayā = for a long time He has been without a wife; ca = and; arthī = so is in need of one; taruṇaḥ = He is young; priya-darśanaḥ = pleasant to look at; anurūpaḥ = suits; ca = and; te = your; bhartā = husband; rūpasya asya = this beauty [of yours]; bhaviṣyati = He can become.
For a long time He has been without a wife and so is in need of one.1 He is young, pleasant to look at and suits this beauty [of yours]. He can become your husband!
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: pūrvaṁ bhāryā-sukhaṁ jñātam anena pūrvī. “pūrvād iniḥ” iti iniḥ. na pūrvī apūrvī, cirād ajñāta-bhāryā-sukha ity arthaḥ.
1 Note that Lord Rāma is not very impressed with Śūrpaṇakhā’s appearance. Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: anurūpaś ca te bhartety atra abharteti cchedenāntar-āśayaḥ. rūpasyāsya kutsitasya rūpasyety arthaḥ.
Apūrvī: For a long time, Lakṣmaṇa didn’t know the pleasures of having a wife. The inner intention of Lord Rāma in speaking the second half of this verse is to convey: “He is unsuitable to this disgusting [real] form [of yours]. He cannot become your husband.”1