Shloka 3.46.20
रावणस्य परिव्राजकवेषेण सीतासमीपगमनम् (Ravana Approaches Sita Disguised as a Mendicant)
चारुस्मिते चारुदति चारुनेत्रे विलासिनि।।।।मनो हरसि मे कान्ते नदी कूलमिवाम्भसा।करान्तमितमध्यासि सुकेशी संहतस्तनी।।।।
cārusmite cārudati cārunetre vilāsini | mano harasi me kānte nadī kūlam ivāmbhasā | karāntamitamadhyāsi sukeśī saṃhatastanī ||
O you of lovely smile, lovely teeth, and beautiful eyes—graceful and enchanting—my mind is borne away by you, beloved, as a river’s waters press upon its banks. Your waist is so slender it can be spanned by a hand; your hair is beautiful, and your breasts are close-set and full.
O lady with an elegant smile, beautiful teeth, lovely eyes! you are enticing.Your slender waist can be compassed by my fist.Your hair is beautiful and your large breasts are rubbing against each other.You are capturing my mind just as the flow of water in a river touches its banks.
The verse demonstrates how desire-driven speech can become manipulative; dharma requires self-restraint and honoring boundaries, not using flattery to unsettle another’s mind.
Rāvaṇa continues his persuasive address to Sītā, describing her features and confessing his captivation.
By contrast, the ideal virtue is brahmacarya/self-control and respectful speech; Sītā’s steadfastness is the moral counterpoint in the episode.