Shloka 5.15.23
अशोकवनिकायां सीतादर्शनम् (Sita Seen in the Ashoka Grove)
अश्रुपूर्णमुखीं दीनां कृशामनशनेन च।शोकध्यानपरां दीनां नित्यं दुःखपरायणाम्।।।।
aśrupūrṇamukhīṃ dīnāṃ kṛśām anaśanena ca |
śokadhyānaparāṃ dīnāṃ nityaṃ duḥkhaparāyaṇām ||
Her face was filled with tears; she was dejected and thin from fasting—ever absorbed in contemplating sorrow, continually given over to grief.
Her face was filled with tears. She looked dejected and emaciated due to fasting. Always plunged in grief, she looked like one meditating in tears.
Truthfulness and fidelity are maintained through self-restraint: fasting and refusal of indulgence become ethical resistance against coercion and moral compromise.
Hanumān sees visible signs of Sītā’s prolonged distress—tears, fasting, and constant grief—confirming the harshness of her captivity.
Self-control and steadfast devotion: her austerity functions as moral strength, not mere weakness.