Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 46: Rāvaṇa Disguises Himself and Approaches Sītā
Text 3.46.34

द्विजातिवेषेण समीक्ष्य मैथिली समागतं पात्रकुसुम्भधारिणम्।
अशक्यमुद्द्वेष्टुमपायदर्शनं न्यमन्त्रयद्ब्राह्मणवत्तदाङ्गना॥

dvi-jāti-veṣeṇa samīkṣya maithilī
samāgataṁ pātra-kusumbhadhāriṇam
aśakyam uddveṣṭum apāya-darśanaṁ
nyamantrayad brāhmaṇavat tadāṅganā

dvi-jāti-veṣeṇa = in the guise of a twice-born; samīkṣya = noticed; maithilī = Maithilī; samāgatam = had arrived; pātra-kusumbhadhāriṇam = with a kamaṇḍalu and in saffron cloth; aśakyam = it was not possible to neglect him; uddveṣṭum apāya-darśanam = that he who had a dangerous idea in mind; nyamantrayat = [and so] she welcomed; brāhmaṇavat tadā = him as befitting a brāhmaṇa guest; aṅganā = the lady.

The lady Maithilī noticed that he who had a dangerous idea in mind had arrived in the guise of a twice-born with a kamaṇḍalu and in saffron cloth. It was not possible to neglect him [and so] she welcomed him as befitting a brāhmaṇa guest.

[Apāya-darśanam indicates that] Rāvaṇa had the idea of kidnapping [her]. She was unable to feed him [directly].1

1 She waited for her husband to come and feed her guest. Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: udveṣṭuṁ bhojayitum.