Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 68: Jaṭāyu’s Liberation
Text 3.68.5
किंनिमित्तोऽहरत्सीतां रावणस्तस्य किं मया।
अपराधं तु यं दृष्ट्वा रावणेन हृता प्रिया॥
kiṁ-nimitto ’harat sītāṁ rāvaṇas tasya kiṁ mayā
aparādhaṁ tu yaṁ dṛṣṭvā rāvaṇena hṛtā priyā
kim-nimittaḥ = why; aharat = did abduct; sītām = Sītā; rāvaṇaḥ = Rāvaṇa; tasya = towards him; kim = which; mayā = of Mine; aparādham tu = offense; dṛṣṭvā = seeing; rāvaṇena = Rāvaṇa; hṛtā = did abduct; priyā = My beloved wife.
Why did Rāvaṇa abduct Sītā? Seeing which offense of Mine towards him did Rāvaṇa abduct My beloved wife?
“Why did Rāvaṇa abduct Sītā?” implies [the following question]: “[Did he do so] to enjoy [her] or was it to retaliate [against Me]?” Considering the latter possibility, He asks the second question.
GLOSS. [The glossator reads kiṁ-nimitto jahārāryām instead of kiṁ-nimitto ’harat sītām which indicates that] Sītā-devī was the worshipable mother of the universe.