Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Rāvaṇa Again Abducts Sītā
Text 3.52.24
तस्यास्तत्सुनसं वक्त्रमाकाशे रावणाङ्कगम्।
न रराज विना रामं विनालमिव पङ्कजम्॥
tasyās tat sunasaṁ vaktram ākāśe rāvaṇāṅkagam
na rarāja vinā rāmaṁ vinālam iva paṅkajam
tasyāḥ = Sītā’s; tat sunasam = and her beautiful nose; vaktram = face; ākāśe = while in the skies; rāvaṇa-aṅkagam = on the lap of Rāvaṇa; na = did not; rarāja = shine; vinā rāmam = in the absence of Śrī Rāma; vinālam = detached from its stalk; iva = it was like; paṅkajam = a lotus.
In the absence of Śrī Rāma, Sītā’s face and her beautiful nose did not shine on the lap of Rāvaṇa while in the skies.1 It was like a lotus detached from its stalk.
1 “Sītā’s face did not shine” means “Sītā’s face became discolored.”
By stating that Sītā-devī’s face was discolored, it is indicated that she was extremely distressed.
From the next verse, the author points out that she was being taken very quickly [to Laṅkā].