Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 47: Rāvaṇa Reveals his Identity to Sītā
Text 3.47.1
रावणेन तु वैदेही तथा पृष्टा जिहीर्षता।
परिव्राजकलिङ्गेन शशंसात्मानमङ्गना॥
rāvaṇena tu vaidehī tathā pṛṣṭā jihīrṣatā
parivrājaka-liṅgena śaśaṁsātmānam aṅganā
rāvaṇena tu = when Rāvaṇa; vaidehī = Vaidehī; tathā = in this manner; pṛṣṭā = and asked her; jihīrṣatā = desired to take her away; parivrājaka-liṅgena = in the disguise of a sannyāsī; śaśaṁsa = described; ātmānam = herself; aṅganā = the lady.
When Rāvaṇa in the disguise of a sannyāsī desired to take her away and asked her in this manner, the lady Vaidehī described herself.
In this chapter, Maithilī honestly describes herself. When she notices Rāvaṇa’s dishonesty, she criticizes him in accordance with her principles of chastity.
Even though Rāvaṇa duplicitously inquired about her, she spoke the truth about herself because he exhibited the external signs of a sannyāsī.