Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 19, Shloka 20
सीताव्यथा
वर्णनम् / Sītā’s Distress and Rāvaṇa’s Attempt at Coercive Allurement
एकया दीर्घया वेण्या शोभमानामयत्नतः।नीलया नीरदापाये वनराज्या महीमिव।।।।
ekayā dīrghayā veṇyā śobhamānām ayatnataḥ |
nīlayā nīradāpāye vanarājyā mahīm iva ||
Aun con una sola trenza larga, descuidada sin esfuerzo, se veía hermosa—como la tierra cuando cesan las lluvias, marcada por una sola línea oscura de bosques.
She looked woeful seated on the bare earth like the broken branch of a tree cut and fallen down on the ground.
FAQs
True worth is not dependent on display; dharma and inner nobility can remain evident even when one is deprived of normal care and adornment.
The poet continues describing Sītā’s condition in captivity: neglected outwardly, yet still naturally radiant.
Tejas with simplicity—quiet dignity that does not seek ornamentation to prove value.