by Vanamali
Far away in the ashrama, Sita heard that piteous call for help in Rama’s voice, and she froze with fright. She was sure that it was her beloved and that he was in great danger. She forgot that he was an invincible warrior and there was no one who could defeat him. That pathetic cry took away all her reasoning capacity, and she turned to Lakshmana with an agonized look and said, “Did you hear that call of my lord? He is in distress. I want you to go to him immediately. He must be surrounded by rakshasas and his life must be in danger, otherwise he would never have cried out like that. Do not hesitate a moment. Hurry to his assistance.”
Lakshmana did not move an inch from his place. He was totally unmoved by Maricha’s shout for he realized it was only a ruse.
Sita was trembling with fear and anger and begged him repeatedly to go. Lakshmana did not know what to do. At last he said, “O Sita! Don’t you know that Rama is invincible in battle? Didn’t you see with your own eyes how he single-handedly slew hundreds of rakshasas? Have you no faith in his prowess? As soon as I saw the deer, I knew it must be a rakshasa and I warned Rama, but he paid no heed to me, for he wanted to please you. He will be back soon; I assure you. The voice we heard was not his, but Maricha’s. Rama asked me to stay by your side and guard you. I cannot disobey him, even if you entreat me. It would be very dangerous to leave you alone here at this moment. I feel that there is some danger lurking. Rama felt it too, and that is why he made me promise to stay with you, whatever happened.”
Sita was furious at him. Her fear had caused her to lose all sense of proportion. All she could think was that her lord was in danger and his brother was refusing to go to his aid. She rushed out of the ashrama saying, “If you don’t go, I will.”
Lakshmana jumped up and caught her as she was running out. For one shocked moment they looked into each other’s eyes. It was the first time in his life that he had ever touched her or even looked fully at her face. Both of them were shocked. Hurriedly he dropped his hands and begged her pardon. Her unreasonable fear for her husband made her speak in the most unbecoming way to Lakshmana. The poor girl, driven by destiny, spoke in a most taunting way to him.
“You are a traitor to Rama. You followed him to the forest with some ulterior motive. Either you are a pawn of Bharata, or you have evil designs on me and hope that if Rama dies you can have me for yourself. But let me tell you, once and for all, that I will kill myself here and now if you do not go immediately. I will not allow you to touch me.”
Lakshmana recoiled in disgust when he heard these cruel words from gentle Sita. He stood with folded palms before her and said, “Sita, I have always looked upon you as a mother. My own mother gave me this advice when I left Ayodhya—that I should regard Rama as my father and you as my mother. You are like a goddess to me, and I refuse to be angry at you for what you are saying. Your words are no doubt prompted by your fear for your husband. I have never heard you speak this way. You are attributing a heinous crime to me, when I am completely innocent. I cannot bear to stand and listen to such talk. I will go after my brother, but I fear that something is threatening you. Please do not force me to go.”
Behaving like a common woman, Sita beat her breast and swore to kill herself if he did not go. She berated him severely and threatened to throw herself into the river or jump into the fire. Lakshmana was in a panic and did not know what to do. At last, with tears in his eyes, he said, “All right, I will go, but first I will draw this magic circle round you. Please see that you do not step out of it. As long as you remain within it, you will be safe. I go with the greatest reluctance. My brother is sure to be most displeased with me, but it appears I cannot please both of you at the same time.” So saying, he took the tip of his bow and made an enchanted circle round her with mantras. He bowed to her and walked away with unwilling steps.
All Sita could say was, “Go, go, go!” Reluctantly and with many a backward glance, poor Lakshmana walked away from the ashrama with slow, unhappy steps.
Rama asks:
“What are the characteristics of a Jivanmukta?”
Vasishta replies:
“He who experiences the whole world as emptiness.
He who though awake enjoys the calmness of deep sleep.
He who is unaffected by pleasure and pain.
He who is unattached in action and inaction.
He who is free from volition and egoism.
He who is afraid of none and invokes no fear in anyone.
Such a one is a Jivanmukta.”
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Sumitraputra-Sevitaya Namaha!
CANTO VI
The Abduction of Sita
Vedantavedyam sakalaischamanyam!
Hrithabhimanam kratushupradhanam!
Gajendrapalam vigathabhimanam!
Sri Ramachandram sathatham namami!
I bow to Sri Ramachandra, who is extolled in the Vedas,
Who is worshipped by all,
Who humbled the pride of his enemies,
Who is foremost in conducting sacrifices,
Who saved the elephant Gajendra and is totally without pride.
Lakshmana was filled with sorrow and anger at the way he had been forced to leave his post and betray Rama, but he had been unable to bear Sita’s harsh words, as she knew only too well. In fact, she had repented of her harsh words as soon as she uttered them, but her anxiety and fear for Rama had totally obliterated her reasoning capacity.
Ravana had been hiding close by, waiting for Lakshmana to go, anxiously watching the proceedings between the two. There was no time to be lost; he had to capture her and leave before Rama returned. He had no desire to have a close encounter with Rama at the moment. As soon as he heard Maricha’s voice, he knew that his uncle had died but felt no compunction at all for having sent him to his death. He had served his purpose and that was all Ravana wanted.
He had a few anxious moments until he saw Lakshmana leave. As soon as Lakshmana was gone, Ravana donned the garments and makeup of an aged sannyasi. His hair was matted and he wore ochre-colored robes and wooden sandals. He held an umbrella and a staff in one hand and a water pot in the other, and walked with eager steps toward the ashrama. Sita had gone inside and he could not afford to step inside the magic circle made by Lakshmana, so he stood outside and shouted out “Biksham dehi,” which was the usual call for alms made by mendicant sannyasis.
Timidly Sita came to the door of the ashrama and looked out. Ravana gave a gasp of pure delight. A real connoisseur of beauty, he had captured many of the most beautiful women in the world for his harem but never had he come across any woman as lovely as this one. She stood framed in the doorway, eyes wide and long black tresses falling almost to the ground. Her complexion was golden, her lips, soft and red and parted in anticipation of her lord. She was so bewitching that Ravana could not move or speak for a few minutes; he could only stand immobilized and devour her with his eyes. He knew that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and his hunger to possess her became an urgent need. Controlling himself with the greatest difficulty, he announced his status by chanting some Vedic mantras. Ravana was a past master in the art of beguiling women, but in this case he did not have to pretend anything that he did not actually feel, for Sita’s alluring looks totally captivated him.
His green eyes shooting golden flames of desire, he said, “O beautiful one, who are you, who lives alone in this forest? Your dark eyes hold magic in their depths. Your form is perfectly made. I wonder what divine hands sculpted your tantalizing breasts. Your face, your smile, your teeth are all fascinating and have totally captivated me. Your waist is so slim that I can span it with one hand. The perfume of lotuses emanates from your lovely hair. I cannot believe that you are a mere mortal. You must be Parvathi, consort of Shiva; or Sachi, consort of Indra. I am struck dumb by so much beauty, but tell me how it is possible that you are living alone in this dark forest. This is not a fitting place for you. You should be living in a palace with terraces and beautiful gardens. Who is the cru
el one who has abandoned you in this dreadful forest, infested with rakshasas and wild beasts?”
Ravana’s impassioned words and looks were quite embarrassing to Sita, but she took him to be an elderly sannyasi and it was against the code of conduct to be rude to those who wore the ochre robe. She was beside herself with anxiety about Rama and kept watching the little path to see if he was coming, but at the same time she could not afford to neglect this holy man who might curse her if she did not entertain him.
So she said, “I am the daughter of Janaka, king of Mithila, and the wife of Rama, son of Dasaratha. I have come to this forest with my husband, who was banished for fourteen years from his kingdom. His brother Lakshmana has also come with us. I cannot bear to live without my husband, neither can he bear to be parted from me, and that is why I accompanied him to this forest. At the moment he has gone with his brother to capture a deer that I desired. If you like, you are welcome to wait for his return. You may sit outside this circle, for no one can enter it. However, I will bring you some food.”
So saying, she went inside to get some edibles for the holy man. Ravana was watching her every gesture and movement with hungry eyes sparking green fire.
She returned with water to wash his feet, as well as a seat for him to sit and have some refreshments. It was the custom to honor a sannyasi in this fashion. She was totally unsuspicious of the character of the person who stood before her, so she innocently came out of the magic circle, made everything ready for the holy man, and respectfully stood beside him and asked him to partake of the repast.
Ravana did not have much time to waste on civilities, so he immediately stated his purpose in coming there. “O princess!” he said, “you must have heard of the king of the rakshasas, called Ravana. His very name strikes terror in the hearts of all. I am he. Ever since I heard about your beauty from my sister Shurpanekha, I have not been able to think of anything else. Now that I have seen you, I am filled with delight. If anything, her description did not do full justice to you. You are far more charming than what she said. You have totally captivated me, and I do not want any other woman but you. Come with me and I’ll make you my foremost queen. My city is called Lanka and it is situated on an island. It is the most beautiful city in the world. You can have the most wonderful palace for your own and wander about in lovely gardens instead of this terrible forest. Cast away this miserable life and come away with me and be my queen.”
Sita was furious when she heard these despicable words coming from the lips of a man she’d thought was holy. It did not occur to her to be frightened.
With flaming eyes and scornful look, she said scathingly, “Listen to me, O wretch! I am the wife of the noblest man in the world and you are the most despicable person. Do you really think I will leave my husband and go with you? How dare you talk to me like this? What do I care for your name and fame and wealth? My husband is the home of all virtues and I would never look at another man. Give up these sinful thoughts and go away fast before my noble husband returns and kills you.”
Though she spoke boldly, her mind was suddenly filled with fear, for she realized her state of utter helplessness. She was alone and at the mercy of this man who appeared to be a veritable devil.
Ravana saw her trembling but he was loath to use violence and thus make her hate him. Though time was running short, he tried to beguile her with stories of his glory. “Ah, Sita,” he said, “you do not realize what a great personage I am. There is nothing that I cannot do. I have conquered all the three worlds. Even the gods bow to me. I have a fantastic chariot that can fly through the air. I can take you over land and sea and show you wonders beyond your dreams. What can that puny mortal Rama do? He was banished to the forest by his father and did not have the courage to go against his stepmother. You are too beautiful to be wasted on such a coward. Come with me and live a life of pleasure in my city. I will shower you with whatever you desire.”
Sita heatedly replied, “You say you were born in a noble family, yet not even the lowest of the low will behave as you do. If you touch me, you will not be able to live. Rama’s arrows will split your chest. You are unnecessarily putting your head into a noose. Depart from here this instant if you value your life.”
Ravana was slowly losing his temper. He had never been thwarted before, especially by a woman! He had thought to make an easy conquest but time was running out. He made one last attempt to convince her of his worth.
“For the last time I am pleading with you. Listen to me and be my wife. I promise I will never displease you. Rama is far inferior to me. He is only a wandering mendicant, without even a kingdom. Forget him and come with me.” Speaking thus, he shed his disguise and stood in all his rakshasa glory before her eyes, ten heads and all!
Sita was terrified to see him in his rakshasa form but she did her best to hide her fear. She knew that if she could only get back into the magic circle she would be safe. Slowly she started backing her way toward it. She cursed herself for not listening to Lakshmana and staying within the circle. If she tried to turn and run, he would surely catch her, so she tried to inch her way slowly back.
Suddenly Ravana realized what she was up to and before she could reach the edge and save herself, he lunged for her. Catching her long hair with his left hand, he placed his right hand under her thighs and lifted her up onto his shoulders. His aerial vehicle, which had been well camouflaged by the trees, now appeared like magic on the lawn. He climbed in and placed Sita on his lap. The entire forest held its breath in fear. It was as if the whole of nature was appalled at the immensity of the crime being committed. The trees moaned and writhed in agony. The birds shrieked and flew hither and thither. The deer on the ground were affected by their cries, and they also moaned and fled into the depths of the forest as if in an effort to summon Rama.
Sita struggled mightily to wriggle from his grasp but he only tightened his hold. She screamed, “Rama! Rama! Save me! Save me!” But Rama did not hear. She was like one demented. Again and again she cried out, “O Rama! O Lakshmana, noble brother of Rama! This evil rakshasa is carrying me away by force. Save me! Save me!”
The chariot was swiftly rising from the ground. Sita saw the trees she loved and the forest she had roamed with her beloved. She made piteous appeals to the flowers and birds to save her, and cursed Ravana for his folly. Ravana paid no heed and the chariot sped through the air to the south. He was jubilant because his plan had succeeded. As the chariot was speeding on its way, Sita suddenly saw their good friend Jatayu perched on a tree. Unfortunately, he had not witnessed all that took place, for he had tucked his head into his feathers and gone to sleep.
As soon as Sita saw him she cried out, “O revered sir, this rakshasa is carrying me away by force. Please tell Rama.” Sobs stopped her from speaking further.
Jatayu awoke from his slumbers at her cry. He flew beside the chariot and tried to reason with the rakshasa king. “O Ravana,” he said, “what you are doing is despicable. Rama has not wronged you in any way. Give up this madness or you will live to regret it. Even though I am old and unarmed, rest assured that I will not let you take her away. If you persist in this stupidity, you will have to fight with me first.”
Ravana had hardly expected an obstacle from this direction. He was furious at the bird for trying to bar the flight of his chariot with its huge wings. Jatayu fought with his talons, beak, and wings and mauled Ravana in quite a few places, so that blood started oozing from his wounds. Ravana tried to pierce him with his arrows but Jatayu resisted manfully and slashed Ravana’s bow and armor with his talons. Blind with fury Jatayu ripped apart the magic asses yoked to the chariot, causing the chariot to smash to the ground. Jatayu shrieked the war cry of the eagles, swooped down on Ravana, and ripped his chest with his beak. His strength and heroism were astonishing. As the chariot fell to the ground, Ravana kept a firm grip on Sita. The rakshasas had the power to fly and the demon king rose up in the air with Sita in his arms. Jatayu followed him but by now the old bird w
as tired and weak. Still he went after him and valiantly pierced him with his beak again and again till he was forced to land on the ground. Ravana was amazed at the bird’s prowess but he was also getting desperate. At last he took up his sword and sliced off both wings of the bird. Jatayu fell to the ground with a shriek. Sita wept in pain at the gory fate of her one friend who had also been her father-in-law’s friend. She shook off Ravana’s loosened hold and ran to the bird, gathering him in her arms, and wept for him. Ravana pulled her up roughly and placing her on his thigh, he rose into the sky once again.
Again and again Sita called out, “Rama! O Rama! Where are you? Can you not hear me?”
Far away in the forest, Rama felt his left eye throb. He felt the vibrations of her piteous call and hastened his steps, almost running down the tiny forest track.
As Ravana rose into the sky, the sun hid behind clouds as if it did not want to be a witness to this outrage. The wind moaned and groaned and there was a hush of sadness in the air.
Draped in yellow silk and decked in the ornaments Anasuya had given her, Sita looked like a streak of lightning against the dark, broad chest of the rakshasa king. The lotus flowers that Rama had placed lovingly in her hair just that morning started to wilt and fall to the ground, as if they could not bear to be touched by that cruel hand. One of her anklets fell and lay forlornly on the ground, loath to be parted from its partner. The shadow cast by the demon king as he carried Sita through the air was black and menacing. The wild beasts that came under the shadow growled menacingly, they knew not why, and tried to claw at it. The fish appeared to leap out of the rivers as if to help her. Again and again Sita begged Ravana to release her but he only tightened his hold. She persisted with scorn and threats, but it was all in vain. Ravana was so happy to at last have her in his arms that he did not realize he was embracing his death. Certain she would eventually succumb to his charms, he moved swiftly through the skies.