Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 52: Rāvaṇa Again Abducts Sītā
Text 3.52.30
सा पद्म-गौरी हेमाभा रावणं जनकात्मजा।
विद्युद्घनमिवाविश्य शुशुभे तप्तभूषणा॥
sā padma-gaurī hemābhā rāvaṇaṁ janakātmajā
vidyud ghanam ivāviśya śuśubhe tapta-bhūṣaṇā
sā = Sītā; padma-gaurī = who was yellow like [the filaments of] a lotus; hema-ābhā = bright as gold; rāvaṇam = on Rāvaṇa; janaka-ātmajā = Jānakī; vidyut = lightning; ghanam = a cloud; iva = like; āviśya = on; śuśubhe = shone; tapta-bhūṣaṇā = and adorned with golden jewels.
On Rāvaṇa, Jānakī who was yellow like [the filaments of] a lotus, bright as gold and adorned with golden jewels, shone like lightning on a cloud.
1 Gold is always bright. Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: hemābhety anena sthira-varṇatoktā.
“Yellow like [the filaments of] a lotus” indicates that Sītā-devī had a very delicate complexion. “Bright as gold” indicates that her complexion was unchanging.1 Though Sītā-devī was [sitting] on [the lap of] Rāvaṇa for a moment like lightning [on a cloud], she never hankered to establish a relationship [with him].