Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 47: Rāvaṇa Reveals his Identity to Sītā
Text 3.47.2
ब्राह्मणश्चातिथिश्चायमनुक्तो हि शपेत माम्।
इति ध्यात्वा मुहूर्तं तु सीता वचनमब्रवीत्॥
brāhmaṇaś cātithiś cāyam anukto hi śapeta mām
iti dhyātvā muhūrtaṁ tu sītā vacanam abravīt
brāhmaṇaḥ ca = a brāhmaṇa; atithiḥ = an uninvited guest; ca = and; ayam = here is; anuktaḥ hi = if I don’t answer him; śapeta mām = me; iti = he might curse; dhyātvā = thought; muhūrtam tu = for a moment; sītā = Sītā; vacanam = the [following] words; abravīt = fhe then spoke.
For a moment, Sītā thought, “Here is a brāhmaṇa and an uninvited guest. If I don’t answer him, he might curse me.”1 She then spoke the [following] words.
1 Technical note: anuktaḥ anukta-prativacanaḥ.