Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 53: Sītā Chastises Rāvaṇa
Text 3.53.16
न ह्यहं तमपश्यन्ती भर्तारं विबुधोपमम्।
उत्सहे शत्रुवशगा प्राणान्धारयितुं चिरम्।।
na hy ahaṁ tam apaśyantī bhartāraṁ vibudhopamam
utsahe śatru-vaśagā prāṇān dhārayituṁ ciram
na hi = no; aham = I; tam apaśyantī = without seeing; bhartāram = my husband; vibudha-upamam = who is comparable to a deva; utsahe = have desire; śatru-vaśagā = while being subjugated by my enemy; prāṇān = my life; dhārayitum = to sustain; ciram = for long.
Without seeing my husband who is comparable to a deva, I have no desire to sustain my life for long while being subjugated by my enemy.
1 She wanted to give some time to her husband to retrieve her. Otherwise, she had no desire to live.
Why his purpose will be unfulfilled is stated by her here. How does she sustain her life now? She disposes of this question by stating ciram, “for long.”1