Sri Valmiki Ramayanam - Aranya Kanda (Book 3) Prose - Sarga 46 to 60

Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam

( Translation and Commentary by Scholar, 

 Sreeman Brahmasree Desiraju Hanumantharao ji

and  Sreeman Brahmasree K M K Murthy ji )

Sree MadValmiki Ramayanam

                                          

 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 46

 

Ravana praises Seetha's beauty by extolling every limb of hers, though he enters like a Brahman sanyaasi, a friar. He indulges in a most untoward laudation that is unbefitting for a saintly and elderly almsman. Unable to refute him, because he is in such a pious garb, she had to invite him as an untimely guest.

 

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Raghava's younger brother Lakshmana is very much infuriated at Seetha who spoke to him rudely, as such he journeyed towards Rama at once as though he is yearning to see Rama immediately, albeit his heart wanted him to stand guard to Seetha. Quickly taking hold of intervallic time then the ten-headed Ravana approached Vaidehi adopting an aspect of a sanyaasi, a meandering Brahman friar. That sanyaasi is now cloaked in smooth silky saffron, his head-hair is neatly tufted, sandals are wooden, umbrella is on right shoulder, and on his left shoulder a shaft of sanyaasi is shouldered, onto which his handy water vessel is hooked, and he proceeded towards Vaidehi in a mien of meandering sanyaasi. 

There are many dress rules to a sanyasi 'the Hindu sanyaasi' where the main items are, as said by Sage Angiirasa: brahma s¨tram tridanýam ca vastram jantu niv˜raõam | þikyam p˜tram b®sŸm caiva kaupŸnam ka÷i veÿ÷itam 'sacred thread, three-shafts, saffron clothing, deerskin, handy water vessel, grass-mat, loin-cloth, girdle-cloth... by these he will be known as a real sanyasi 'Hindu sanyaasi.' Out of all these items, the shafts make a difference. Vaishnavaite sanyaasi-s handle three shafts tied into one, and the three are symbolic to cit, acit, iishvara 'animate, inanimate, and lord...' and on this Manu says v˜k daõýa× ca mano daõýa× k˜ya daõýa× tathaiva ca | yasya ete nihit˜ buddhau sa tridaõýŸ ca ucya te the word daNDa means 'repressing, suppression, control...' thus a sanyaasi has to control his 'speech, mind, and body... by that alone he is renowned as sanyasi... Manu. As such, Ravana is in the getup of an unmistakable Brahman sanyaasi, with an unbridled tongue.

As with a pitchiest gloom overcoming the sunless and moonless lively eventide, that great-mighty Ravana came over to Vaidehi in that forest, when she is without two of the brothers, namely Rama and Lakshmana. As a sinister planet looks over Star Rohini when she is devoid of Moon, that extremely sinister Ravana then looked over the glorious and youthful princess Seetha. 

Rohini is the principle star and dear wife of the Moon will be in lunar asterism of the same name, and when she comes in the view of planets like Saturn and Mars astrology predicts earthly havocs. Hence, Ravana is compared with such a planet and Seetha with Rohini.

On observing ferocious Ravana whose activities are iniquitous, the trees of Janasthaana are not in full sway, nor the wind is in full swing. On seeing him who is seeing with his bloodshot eyes, River Godavari too is frightened and started to rush off quietly, whose onrush will be rapid otherwise. 

The reaction of the trees, wind, and river is as said by gods to Brahma in Bala Kanda, at 1-15-10: "Surya, the Sun will not verily parch Ravana. Maarutha, the Air will not surge at his sides. On seeing Ravana, the lord of the undulating, drifting waves, Ocean... will not pulsate either, and will hide the undulating waves, for the waves are his wives, and Ravana may abduct them... like Seetha."

In the meanwhile the Decahedron demon Ravana, who is all the while waiting for some lapse of Rama, neared Vaidehi in the getup of a sanyaasi. That disgraceful Ravana made advances in a graceful mien of Brahman almsman to Vaidehi who is thinking over her husband, like the slow moving Saturn making advance to Star Citra which will be ominous. Like a wellspring shrouded by grass, enshrouded in a decent getup of a Brahman friar, in a trice Ravana leeringly stood before of Vaidehi, the admirable wife of Rama. 

This idiomatic usage of tR^iNa kuupa which draws upon straw, is held high by Dr. Satya Vrat, which is repeated often in Ramayana. He says 'Probably Kalidasa too was inspired by this very expression of Valmiki when he put it in the mouth of Shakuntala as she was being repudiated by Dushyanta: ko anyo dharma kancuka praveþina× t®õa k¨pa upama asya tava anuk˜ri bhaviÿyati - abhijñ˜na þ˜kuntalam Act 5.

While standing before her then Ravana eyed at the auspicious wife of Rama, whose lips and teeth are fine, visage is shiny like a full moon, and who is presently tortured by her tearful lamentation and sitting in the straw-cottage, and he approached that lotus-petal eyed Vaidehi who is dressed in ochry silks, as that night-walker is gladdened at his heart for her solitude. He who is hit by the arrows of Love-god that king of demons Ravana, on seeing Seetha entered resonating the resonances of Vedic-hymns as precursory in seeking alms, and spoke these well-mannered sentences to her who is in solitariness. 

Ravana really acclaimed her who is an excellent one in all the three worlds, beaming forth with the beauty of her body, and who is like Goddess Lakshmi but for Divine-lotus as Her settle, for Seetha is devoid of her settling, namely Rama. "Glittering like the glitter of gold, silkened in ochry silks, you are like a lotus-tendril garlanded with divine lotuses as your ensemble, who are you?" Thus Ravanan started addressing Seetha 

The beautiful outfits on this lotus-stalk like Seetha are her mukha kamala, netra kamala, kara kamala, paada kamala... 'lotus-eyes, lotus-face, lotus-stalk like hands and lotus-feet and other limbs...' The word padmini also means a 'lake' besides the runner of lotus plant. The first compound is also read as: raupya kaancana aabhaa meaning 'shining like silver and gold...' but it is in limited mms and with very limited use.

"Oh, rosy faced one, are you the personified numen of Respect, Renown or Resplendence, or the Felicitous Lakshmi herself, or oh, curvaceous one, are you a nymphal Apsara, or the numen of Benefactress, or a self-motivated woman, or Rati Devi, the consort of Manmatha, the Love God. 

These three attributes are as informed by gods to Vishnu about the three wives of Dasharatha at 1-15-20, as: hrii, HR^illekha, virtue, modesty, uprightness... shrii, shriikaara affluence, prosperity and also suggestive of resplendence, radiance of that prosperity or effluence and kiirti fame, renown, glory... a bhuuti, vibhuuti is accordance, give-all, fortune. The ash applied on forehead in worships is to be applied with a verse bhuutir bhuutikar iishvarii... and for each of these attributes, a presiding deity is there with the same name. Here the hrii is also taken to mean bhuu devi 'Mother Earth' another wife of Vishnu. The addressing varaarohe etc., are the attributes of the addressees as a beautiful woman in the group of: varaarohaa, matta kaashinii, uttamaa, vara varNiniii - amara kosha .

"Your teeth are evenly, smooth and their tips are like jasmine buds, and your whitish broad eyes are spotless, reddish at ends, and pupils are black. Your hips are beamy, thighs burly akin to elephant's trunks, and these two breasts of yours that are ornamented with best jewellery are rotund, rubbing and bumping each other, and they are swinging up and up, their nipples are brawny and jutting out, and they are smoothish like palm-fruits, thus they are covetable for they are beautiful. Oh, allurer, your smile is alluring, teeth are alluring, and your eyes allure, oh, beauty, your waist is palmful, your hair velvety, your breasts are jostling, and you rob my soul as a spate robs riverbank. 

"I have not hitherto seen any earthly female with this kind of features on the face of earth; or, a goddess - no; a gandharva female - no; yaksha female - no; kinnaraa female - no, none whosoever! I marvel why an excellent one in all the three worlds by her features, more so, fragile and youthful as yourself should be living here in the thick of forest. 

Such as you are you go back, let safety betide you, as you are unsuited to live in here, for this forest is the dwelling for ghastly demons who by their wish will be changing their guise. Delightful rooftops of skyscrapers, flourishing and richly fragranced pleasure-gardens of cities alone are meetly to you to saunter. 

Oh, beauteous lady, I opine that only best garlands, best scents, best foodstuffs, best clothing are meetly to you, oh, lady with black pupils, hence it is meet and right to you to have a best husband.

Or

"Getting at you, the garlands, scents, foodstuffs, or clothing, they all become the best, because you are the best beauteous one, as such, he alone becomes a best person who gets you as his wife, and it is meet and right to you to choose such a husband, [aside: me alone.] 

"Oh, curvaceous lady, who are you? Oh, one with an impeccable smile, do you belong to Rudraa-gods, or Marut-gods, or to Vasu-s? To me you are beaming forth like a goddess. 

Vividly: 'your kind of female is unspotted by me among humans, so you must be some goddess, but I have marked all gods and there I did not find you. This province belongs to demons. As such, gods, gandharva-s, kinnaraa-s and others cannot enter this place, let alone the gods from Shiva's side, because Shiva is the Ultimate for demons. If so, do you belong to ekaa dasha rudraa-s eleven Rudraa-s? Or, because Air can circulate here, do you belong to any of the forty-nine marut gaNaa-s, Wind-gods? Or, because earth has ancient connections with aSTa vasu-s, eight-Vasu-s, do you belong to any one of them?' Further, Seetha is not smiling throughout this chapter as her mind is set on her husband's safety. Nevertheless Ravana assumes that if Seetha smiles, that smile will be impeccable.

"This is the dwelling-place of demons, and no goddess, nor a gandharva, nor a kinnara can arrive here, but how you have come here? Here, simians, lions, leopards, tigers, likewise other predators, bears, tigers, vultures will be moving. How you are not frightened from them? Being alone in this forest, oh, lady with a lovely face, how you are unafraid of horrendous and mighty elephants possessed of rut? 

"Oh, auspicious lady, who are you? Whose are you? Also from where are you? And being lonely, what for you are moving in dreadful Dandaka forest that is adored by demons?" Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. 

When the wicked minded Ravana praised her in this way, Vaidehi the princess from Mithila has seen him who has arrived in the getup of Brahman and started to revere him with all the respects affordable to a casual guest. 

She firstly fetched a seat him, then invited him with water for feet-wash, and then said to him who looked gracious in his bearing, 'alms are ready.' 

Maithili explored him who arrived with the features of a Brahman, with a saffron-robe and alms-bowl, and finding no reason to refute him flatly, as he has come like a Brahman, she invited him as a Brahman.

Or

Maithili explored him who arrived with the features of a Brahman, with a saffron-robe and alms-bowl, and as he came with an unimperilling appearance of a Brahman, she invited him as she would ordinarily invite a real Brahman. 

Did she recognise Ravana as a pseudo-Brahman or not... is the doubt raised by this verse, because different texts use different compounds apaaya a darshanam.... upaaya a darshanam etc. It is concluded that she, for sure, identified him as a pseudo-Brahman, because she has seen many such sanyasi-s while she was in Mithila. Hence she is said here as Maithili because she hails from Mithila and her father's court was full with these sanyasi-s, yati-s, parivraajaka-s. Then it is questioned as to why she invited him, though recognised him as a pseudo-Brahman. For this Govindaraja says: k˜ÿ˜ya daõýa m˜treõa yati× p¨jyo na samþaya× 'By spotting the saffron robe alone, a sanyasi is venerable...'

Then, another doubt is raised as to how she noticed him to be pseudo- sanyasi . For this it is said r˜tri adhv˜nam y˜nam ca strŸ kath˜ laulyam eva ca | mancakam þukla vastram yatŸn˜m patan˜ni ÿa÷ || 'Walking during night, using vehicles, showing interest in episodes relating to women, and relations with women, using a cot to sleep, wearing white cloths... these six show the downfall of his sanyaasi-hood...' Ravana is indulged in strii kathaa in the whole of this chapter, in admiring at her lips, breasts, thighs etc., and no usual swasti vacana, shubha aashiis 'blessings...' are uttered by him and thus Seetha could discern him to be a pseudo- sanyasi.

Though knowing him as such, why should she revere him at all, is another question. What else she could do as his appearance itself is uddveSTum a shakyam 'irrefutable appearance of a Brahman sanyasi...' hence, somehow some time is to be gained until the arrival of Rama or Lakshmana. Otherwise, this pseudo-sanyasi may cause any pseudo-problem that she cannot solve. For this, the reply is at the word in the last verse haritam dadarsha... 'only greenery is seen by her not Rama nor Lakshmana...' And in the next verse itself she is addressing him as a "Brahman...' but not with the titles like sanyasi or yatiishvara, paramahamsa, parivraajaka etc. A Brahmin alone is eligible to take up sanyaasa 'Hindu-sanyaasi-hood...' not Kshatriya or others. Hence, she concluded him to be Brahman. When once the sanyaasi-hood is taken he is no more a Brahman and his bodily being neutralises in the Absolute, and such a sanyaasi shall drag on his body, without comfortable bodily needs, until his natural death. But Seetha is addressing him contrary to his stance.

"Oh, Brahman, this is the Darbha-grass-seat and you be seated comfortably, here is water, receive it for hand and feet wash, here is the forest grown victuals for your sake... dine on them relaxedly..." Thus Seetha said to Ravana. 

Ravana thoroughly observed that wife of the king, Maithili, when she invited him talking civilities contextual in inviting a guest, that too Brahman sanyasi, and he firmed up his mind to abduct her even forcibly, and started to dedicate himself for destruction. 

Then she looked forward for her shapely husband who has gone on a hunting game, and who must be returning along with Lakshmana, and though she looked intently she could only see the green backdrop of that great forest, but not Rama or Lakshmana.

Thus, this is the 46th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 47

 

The debate of Seetha and Ravana has started, as Ravana wished to woo Seetha. In the first instance Seetha believes him to be a Vedic Brahman but insists to know about him. Ravana reveals his identity and asks her to become his wife. Thereupon she goes into a frenzied state and brainstorms Ravana in all her curtness.

 

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When Ravana whose intention is to abduct her has enquired thus, then on the basis of his Brahman friar's mien Seetha informed about herself on her own. Thinking briefly that, 'he is a Brahman and an untimely guest, he will indeed curse me if he is not replied,' Seetha spoke this sentence. 

A lie cannot be uttered to a sanyaasi, much less to a Brahman. This friar appears as someone who is attired as a sanyaasi to fill his stomach. But he is Brahman, because he came booming Vedic hymns, which no other lesser Brahman can do. Thus, he is someone with a perfect Vedic background... and according to the saying yatiinaam puujanam kaaryam striyaa vaa puruSena... ' an ascetic is to be revered either by a lady or a gentleman...' and thus he cannot be turned out saying 'my husband is not at home...' and if he is neglected he may curse...' these are the criss-cross thoughts of Seetha at that moment. Ghastly Viradha boldly carried her off at one time, but she is yet to see the cunningness of a demon. So with a half-belief and half-heart she started to talk to him.

"I am the daughter of noble-souled Janaka, the king of Mithila, by name I am Seetha, and the dear wife and queen of Rama, let safety betide you. 

Here some versions use bhaaryaa 'wife' while some use mahiSii 'queen...' and this bhadram te coupled with jihiirSuNaa 'abduction wisher...' is taken as a forewarning to Ravana, as she immediately says who her husband is, as she is aware that this friar is Ravana. Then it implicitly means 'you who wish to abduct me, think twice, for my husband is Rama, and let safety prevail on whole of your dynasty, for it is hard to deal with Rama or with his dear queen-wife...'

"On residing in the residence of Ikshvaku-s in Ayodhya for twelve years, I was in sumptuosity of all cherishes while relishing all humanly prosperities. 

Mythically Seetha is Goddess Lakshmi and an accorder of prosperity. Here she is saying that she had to enjoy 'humanly indulgences...' because her husband incarnated himself as a man, and since she had to enjoy along with him in her in-law's place, she enjoyed those luxuries. Or, if this is read as a+ maanuSa bhogaan 'superhuman delights...' [of course, not 'inhuman delights...'] she enjoyed heavenly comforts as she was enjoying as Lakshmi in vaikunTha 'Milky Ocean of Vishnu.' And then, she is indirectly telling Ravana that she has come now as Seetha, after immolating herself as Vedavati, in an earlier incarnation, only to end Ravana.

"In the thirteenth year the lordly king Dasharatha deliberated together with his imperial ministers to anoint Rama as Crown Prince of Ayodhya. When Raghava's anointment was being organised my venerable mother-in-law known as Kaikeyi begged her husband Dasharatha for a boon. Restraining my veracious father-in-law by a good deed once done by her in his respect, Kaikeyi besought two boons from him, namely expatriation of my husband, and anointment of her son Bharata. 

" 'If Rama is anointed now, come what may I will not eat, sleep, or drink, and my life ends this way,' thus Kaikeyi was adamantine, and the king and my father-in-law entreated her who is nagging with meaningful riches, but she did not make good on that entreaty. 

"My great-resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age at that time, and to me eighteen years are reckoned up from my birth.

These foots are said to be nonexistent in some more ancient mms. But lengthy narrations are there in calculating the age of Rama and Seetha, at this point of legend with these stanzas. The letter bha in the line mama bhartaa mahaatejaa is the ninth letter of Gayatri hymn and thus the ninth book of Ramayana with thousand couplets is started from here. The whole of Ramayana is with twenty-four thousand verses and Gayatri hymn has twenty-four letters, and each book of Ramayana contains a thousand verses, starting with each letter of Gayatri. This is the then classification of the cantos of this epic and such grouping of verses is nonexistent now.

"Rama - thus he is exalted in the world, an unambiguous, unblemished, unsullied one, and a broad-eyed ambidextrous one, who delights in bringing universal welfare, is my husband. 

The dexterity of an archer depends mainly on his sighting and targeting eye. Hence, the eyes and dexterity are to be coupled instead of cleaving them as two attributes of Rama. Otherwise, in Seetha's saying that 'my husband is a broad-eyed one...' it does not make any sense to Ravana, because Ravana's eyes are much more bigger and bloodshot. Thus 'my ambidextrous husband's eyes are broad puNDariika vishaala akshaH, and those eyes are a couple of fish-eye lenses of a camera and can view in 360º, thus you cannot escape their target, in any angle...' Further, these and some more attributes in the coming verses like simha uraska etc., they are the very same words coined by Sage Narada, while informing Valmiki about Rama in the first chapter of Bala Kanda. Some think such repetitions are essentially Homeric. But in Indian scripts they are not mere repetitions but reiteration of the very same concept in the very same words, which is not an epical flaw in view of the ruling aadaraat punarukti, aadaraat dvirukti... 'an affectionate reiteration...' Hence, the very same words are put on the tongue of the principle character, Seetha.

"But Rama's father Dasharatha was lovesick for Kaikeyi and to fulfil her desired aspiration that great king did not anoint Rama. When Rama arrived in the presence of his father, Kaikeyi readily and decidedly spoke these words to my husband. 

" 'What your father has proclaimed, oh, Raghava, that may be heard from me. He said, 'let this thornless kingdom be accorded to Bharata. And you, oh, Kakutstha Rama, indeed have to inhabit the forests for nine plus five years, hence you repair to forests and redeem your father from the remorse of perjury.' 

"As an unfearing one from any quarter and as a resolute one in his pledge my husband Rama said 'so be it' to Kaikeyi and followed her dictate. My husband is evermore a renderer but not a recipient, and forever he speaks truth, and not the untruth, least of all. Oh, Brahman, this is the unalterable and unsurpassable vow of Rama. 

In Maha Bharata Dharmaraja is informed that 'a king shall give, but he shall not beseech, he can perform a Vedic Ritual but cannot make it performed by others, he can learn Veda-s, but cannot teach them, he shall endeavour to govern the people [properly...] dady˜t r˜j˜ na y˜ceta yajeta na y˜jayeta | na adhy˜payet adhiyŸta praj˜n ca parip˜layet || bh˜rata - r˜ja dharma

"One known as Lakshmana is such a Rama's brother from another mother, and he is a valorous one, tigerly-man, and an eliminator of enemies in war. 

A stepmother is called as vi maata or dvaimaata and it is said vaimaatreyo vimaatR^ija - amara kosha one is other mother, the other is second-mother, both are the nomenclatures of a stepmother.

"He who is known as Lakshmana, a follower of virtue and steadfast in his commitment, followed Rama handling his bow as a helpmate, when Rama was proceeding to forests along with me. 

Some texts use the word brahma caarii 'celibate' basing on the word Rama used when saying about Lakshmana to Shuurpanakha about Lakshmana as apuurvii while some others use as above.

"Because Rama always abides in probity and resolutely vowed to it, he entered Dandaka forest in the aspect of a tufty haired saint along with me and his brother. Such as we are, oh, eminent Brahman, we three are moving about the impenetrable Dandaka forest just by our own mettle as we fell down from kingdom owing to Kaikeyi. 

"Be comfortable for a moment, here it is possible for you to make a sojourn, and soon my husband will be coming on taking plentiful forest produce, and on killing stags, mongooses, wild boars he fetches meat, aplenty. Such as you are, oh, Brahman, you may make mention of your name, parentage and caste, in their actuality. For what reason you are wandering in Dandaka forest lonesomely?" Thus Seetha questioned Ravana.

She is addressing him as 'oh, Brahman...' and yet asking his caste. This is a tricky stanza. This implies her knowledge and/or ignorance about Ravana. As a housewife, it is a natural question to be put to an out-of-way friar moving in the deep of forests. Here, neither a village, nor a single family, nor even a human being is available to accord alms, and this odd almsman is moving here who is supposed to move about villages as said: bhiksha artham graamam pravishet. Or, she must be asking him about his caste, creed etc., when he was a householder. But it is out of place. On the other hand, if Seetha is from a well-trained family, she is not supposed to question the caste, creed, and name of a real sanyaasi. Again, she is asking him to reveal himself 'in essence, truthfully.' She might have thought him to be a cursing Brahman in the first instance, but she might have found him out to be a pseudo-sanyaasi. Now that she is slowly realising that he may not be a proper Brahman either, she may be asking him straightforwardly. Because Ravana is coming out of Brahman's guise in next two stanzas, it is said that she pointedly asked him as above.

Ravana, the great-mighty king of demons, brusquely replied Seetha, the wife of Rama, while she is still speaking in this way. 

"Oh, Seetha, of whom all the worlds composed of gods, demons and humans are highly startled, I am that sovereign of hosts of demons, known as Ravana. On seeing you, oh, impeccable one, glittering with golden complexion and attired in ochry-silks, I derive no pleasure in my wives. 

Ravana as a devotee of Lakshmi said the above as a renouncer. tvaam dR^iSTvaa 'on seeing you...' after a long time... svakeSu 'in my kith and kin...' daareSu wives...' ratim 'pleasure, involvement...' na adhigacChaami 'not, I attain...' 'On seeing you, I no longer can attain pleasure with my kith and kin, or with my wives... for I have seen my ultimate motherly goddess... thus I am ready to renounce this accursed being of Ravana...' Maheshvara Tirtha.

"You become my prime queen above all the choicest women with superior status, whom I have appropriated from here and there. 

Ravana as devotee is saying: aaR^itaanaam uttamam striiNaam 'To all of the choicest women appropriated by me...; mama to me'; agra mahiSiiyaa 'to the one who is my prime queen'; tasyaaH ca mama ca to her and to me; bhava iishvarii you be the ruling deity; 'To all of the choicest women appropriated by me... and to the one who is my present prime queen, namely Mandodari, to her and to me, and to all of us, you be the ruling deity...' Tiirtha.

"Nestled on a mountaintop my great city known as Lanka is there in the midst of an ocean and all over encompassed by an ocean. Oh, Seetha, there you can saunter in pleasure-gardens along with me, and oh, lady with resentment, you will not think back to this forest-living, at all events. 

The word bhaamini is an addressing to a beautiful lady, who is with some anger or resentment kopanaa saa eva bhaaminii - amara kosha and Ravana mistook Seetha's fury as 'an anger in passion.'

"Oh, Seetha, if you become my wife five thousand handmaidens adorned with ornaments of every description will be in your attendance." Thus Ravana said to Seetha. 

Ravana, the devotee, is saying panca sahasraaNi daasyaH 'five thousand servants...' me 'with me... together with me' paricariSyasi yadi tava 'if we all render service to you...' then you will be baaryaa; bha + aaryaa; bhaayaa= kaantyaa, aaryaa= puujyaa 'by your splendour...' bhavasi you will become the venerable Goddess Lakshmi by your own splendour while thousands are serving you...'

When Ravana said in this way, Seetha the daughter of Janaka, a flawless one by her physique, dishonoured and replied that demon. 

Here the word tu in raavaNena evam uktaa tu is said as tu shabdena puurvokta upacaara vacana vilakshaNa vacana it means ultimately as - Seetha spoke in derision.

"I have avowed to adhere to such a husband Rama, who is inflexible like a sturdy mountain, comparable to lordly Indra, unshakable like a vast ocean. 

Vividly: 'A mountain will be unswerving even if a hundred thunderbolts strike it at once, thus is my husband... but you, you are always swerving while hankering after your petty cherishes... thus, you are a straw in the wind... my husband is a coequal of Indra, while you are humiliated by Indra's son. The ocean will be turbulent on its surface but it will be calm and clear at its abyss, engulfing unusual treasures... though my husband appears as a passionate person, an indulgent person in humanly pursuits, from hunting games to hollering, in worldly agonies and ecstasies, but at his heart, he is like the fathomless serene ocean... I have avowed to follow him in this lifetime.'

"He who is enriched with all endowments, and who is like a banyan tree with its surmounted orbicularity, the high-minded one with truthfulness alone is his target, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. 

The banyan tree is an Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, the branches of which hang down and root themselves. The simile of a banyan tree to Rama says that: he is an atom in the atomic seed of that tree. On its growth, it spreads so wide and broad and every branch take its own root like the manifold growth of this universe. Hence, every individual being is his offspring and progeny. And the whole universe is pervaded by his 'tree-top' like shelter. Secondly, that tree gives shelter to innumerable beings for it is so wide at its apex. Hence, anyone can take shelter under Rama, because he is obliged to oblige all sarva jana anukuulata as said in an ancient saying: k¨pa udakam va÷a cch˜y˜ yuvatŸn˜m stana dvayam | þŸt˜ k˜le bhavet uÿõam uÿõa k˜le bhavet þŸtalam || 'water in a well, banyan tree shade, maiden's two breasts, will warm up in cold season and cool down in hot season...' Govindaraja.

"He who is ambidextrous, broad-chested, supreme among men, and a lion-like person with the strides of prancing lion, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. 

'His dexterity is evident from the moment he started to save the order of universe, at the time churning Milky Ocean, becoming Mohini, becoming a Fish, a Tortoise etc. His strides are evident, when he as a dwarfish boy strode all the three worlds. As a lion-man, he tore the very stomach of the evil and now he is striding like a prancing lion towards you, for you alone are the prey for that lionised human incarnation...'

"He who is a valiant one with a face like that of full-moon, a prince with his self-conquered, and he who is expressly acclaimed and effectively armed, and I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama. 

'He is a valiant person and he confronts, if need be, his enemies straightforwardly, about which you have heard when your Khara, Dushana, and others are eliminated by him... but you are sneaky and slithery... you are ever a thief, never a valiant one... his face is like a pleasant full-moon, at any given opportunity, while yours is revulsive... and you are like the eclipsing planet Rahu or Ketu, whose effect lasts a few minutes... he is expressly acclaimed for his welfare activities and of course, you are also expressly acclaimed, but, only for your ill-faring actives... the senses of an yet to be crowned prince will be like the unbridled horses... but my husband conquered his own senses like an uncrowned sagacious emperor... while you, though you declare yourself as the monarch of demons, there is not even an iota of self-righteousness in you, befitting even to a petty king... then where is the question of your majesty, monarchy, or sovereignty...'

Seetha reiterates the statement 'I am avowed to adhere to such a Rama...' four times. This is daarDhyata - said for the purpose of 'reinforcement' of her statement.

"You being a fox you woo me who am an absolutely inaccessible lioness? Why wooing, it is impossible for you to touch me as with the untouchable Shine of the Sun. 

A fox usually waits in a ditch until the lion or lioness finishes its feast. The lion will have its lion's share and go away. Then the lioness and her cubs have their share and go away. Then it is the day of the fox-in-the-ditch. 'Like a fox-in-the-ditch, how you dare to come to an inaccessible lioness, when the lion departed...' Next, Sun's wife is Prabha or Shine and she is non-figural resplendent entity. She is perceivable but untouchable. If anyone can lay his hands on her by the dint of his yogic or ascetic practises, and if he baskets that Shine for use in night, that night becomes a day, for it will be shining with sunshine, and thus his pleasurable night is evanished. Thereby he looses his minimal personal comfort of a night and it will be self-ruinous to experiment with such ideas.

"You who are an ill-fated demon, oh, demon, by your wooing the dear wife of Raghava, thus you must be visualising many golden trees, undeniably. 

A dying person fantasises golden trees and the like presuming his travel to heaven. By these illusions his death is predictable.

"Do you wish to twitch fangs from the mouth of a ravenous lion, the expeditious challenger of animals, and from the mouth of a rebounding venomous serpent. 

The simile of lion and serpent is to Rama and the fangs to Seetha. A lion or a snake knows well how to protect its instruments, namely fangs. Hence, Seetha is the fang of expeditious and ravenous Rama in eliminating evil on earth and now he will become a grudging venomous cobra too, for its tail is going to be trampled, by Seetha's abduction. Thus, the instrumentality of Seetha is established and no instrument needs to bother on its own, because its owner takes care of that instrument.

"Do you wish to steal away the massive Mandara Mountain by the sleight of your hand, but how do you wish to decamp healthily without consuming lethal poison? 

She is reminiscing her emergence. Mt. Mandara is mentioned but not Mt. Himalayas or Mt. Meru, even though they are more massive and lofty. Vishnu used Mt. Mandara as a churn-staff when Milk Ocean was churned, but not Himalayas or Meru and the burden of that Mt. Mandara was sustained by Vishnu alone as a Tortoise, which is impossible for simpletons like Ravana, as Ravana failed to lift Mt. Kailash. Before Lakshmi's emergence from the churning Milk Ocean, Her elder sister haalaahala 'lethal poison' emerged and it could be contained only by Shiva, and now, if Ravana contemplates to consume her elder sister kaalakuuTa, haalaahala 'lethal poison' it is evident what will become of him. This is nidarshana alankaara; samaanya vaakyaartha aikyata 'aesthetics of correspondence...'

"If you wish to override the dear wife of Raghava, then it is as good as wishing to deeply scrape your eyes with needlepoint, and licking the razorblade with your tongue. You who wish to bitterly intimidate the dear wife of Rama are as good as the one who wish to swim an ocean arraying a boulder around his neck, and with a pair of hands you wish to steal away both the Sun and Moon? "You who wish to abduct me with an auspicious legend as the wife of Rama, thus you wish to steal away a glowing fire in a cloth-bundle, though evincing it to be highly flaming?

"You who wish to override the befitting and selfsame wife of Rama, are wishing to tread on the needle-sharp spikes of iron spears. 

This declaration that she is selfsame to Rama is on the analogy of raamaa the feminal name of Rama. aham n˜r˜yanŸ n˜ma s˜ satt˜ vaiÿõavŸ par˜ - lakÿmŸ tantra 3-1 - yah˜ may˜ jagat vy˜ptam svar¨peõa svabh˜vata× | tay˜ v˜ptam idam viþvam niyantrŸ ca tath˜ ŸþvarŸ || 'I am indeed Naaraayanee [i.e. Lakshmi] the supreme essence of Lord Vishnu----Lakshmi Tantra 3.1. 'In my essence and entity I pervade all this universe, and as I pervade all over I am the controller and presiding deity...'

"Which odds are there between a lion and a fox in a given forest, which odds are there between a turbid-rivulet and an ocean, and which odds are there between a fine-wine and sour-gruel, likewise you are also at odds with the son of Dasharatha. 

The usage of the word syandanika is said to be the usage of a rare word by Valmiki, meaning kshudra nadi 'a turbid-rivulet...' as recorded by Pt. Satya Vrat, in Ramayana - A Linguistic Study.

"Which imparity is there among the metals of gold and lead, which imparity is there among the waters of sandalwood and sewage, which imparity is there between an elephant and a wildcat of forests, such an imparity exists between you and the son of Dasharatha. 

"Which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a crow and an eagle, which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a waterfowl and a peacock, which dissimilarity obtains betwixt a swan and a falcon living in forest, such a dissimilarity obtains betwixt you and the son of Dasharatha. 

"Even if you steal me away now, later when Indra similar Rama posits himself with his bow and arrows in hand on the battlefield, you cannot live on, and in the meanwhile you cannot digest me, as with a diamond swallowed along with a fly." Thus Seetha gave her vent to her disdainful feelings towards Ravana. 

Here, if a fly is accidentally swallowed along with pure ghee, it will be vomited out for the nausea caused by that fly in the stomach. But diamond rends the stomach. The word vajram is usually a diamond, and if a diamond is consumed, accidentally or wilfully, it will tear off the intestines to death. Hence taking the Vedic saying vajro va aajyam the word is generally translated as ghee.

On speaking these sentences with high-strung words, with all her unsullied intentions to that highly sullied night-rambler Ravana, her fragile body trembled tormentedly as with a banana plant up-heaved by gust. 

She poured forth all of her feelings unbothered for consequences and when her haranguing is over, she felt certain uneasiness. This uneasiness is two fold. One is in accordance with humanly nature of a woman as she is staunch enough to not yield to any, and if anyone makes an untoward advance, she has a 'list' of suicide-programs, those that are narrated to Lakshmana in the previous chapter. Further, she is yet to know about Rama's welfare, which will be impossible if this demon carries her away now. On the other side, as a Divine Consort of Vishnu, her uneasiness is for her separation from Rama, but not from the fear of any molestation by Ravana, and as the expected hour has come, the expectancy for the prospective elimination of Ravana is making her to tremble, impetuously.

On closely marking Seetha to be tremulous, he that Ravana whose impetus is Death similar, clearly informed her of his name, caste, competency, and capability as his purpose is to cause scare. 

Thus, this is the 47th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 48

 

Ravana vaingloriously extols himself and tempts Seetha with all impossible comforts and luxuries, if she obliges him and comes to Lanka with him, leaving Rama. She curtly dismisses all his baiting and luring.

 

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When Seetha spoke thus Ravana is embittered, and knitting his eyebrows he indeed spoke these rudish words to Seetha. 

"I am known as Ravana, oh, lady with superb complexion, let safety betide you, the highly valorous and ten-headed stepbrother of Kubera. I am that Ravana at whose sight all the gods together with gandharva-s, evil-spirits, birds and snakes will always be frightened and fleeing, as with the people frightened and fleeing from death. I am that Ravana who when infuriated for some other reason took up a duel with Kubera, his brother from stepparent, wherein that Kubera is set up against and completely trounced in a combat. I am that Ravana by whom Kubera, the god for Wealth-Management whose vehicular transport is handled by humans, is tormented fearfully and made to completely abandon his wealthiest place which is presided over by him till then, and I am the one who made that Kubera to flee to the excellent Mt. Kailash where he is somehow living, because I will not cause any harm on Mt. Kailash as I hold it sacred. 

"I am that Ravana, oh, auspicious lady, who just by his valour acquired Kubera's auspicious aircraft known as Pushpaka, whose pilotage is just by the wish of its aviator, with which I will be travelling in skies. Just by seeing rancour-shot face of mine, oh, Maithili, all the gods will quickly shoot off, even if Indra is leading them, then where is the question of their confronting me. Where I will be staying there the Air-god wafts doubtfully, lest his gusts and blasts may hurt me, and the Sun also effectuates his singeing sunbeams as cooling moonbeams, lest I may abduct his wife Prabha, the Sunshine. At places where I will be staying or freely moving there the leaves of trees will be less of rustle, lest I may wilt them up, and there the gush of water of rivers too will quieten, lest I may dry them up. 

"My magnificent city known as Lanka is there on the other shore of the ocean, plethoric with all kinds of amenities, as well as with ghastly demons, which city will be on par with Indra's Amaravati, but for meekly gods and meaningless souls. That gorgeous city is completely walled in with compound walls that are adorned with whitish silver, and its palace-chambers are golden, and its archways are fully jewelled with lapis jewels. It is encumbered with elephants, horses and chariots, well sounded by the sounds of trumpets, and with trees which yield fruits that fulfil all the savours, and it is bedecked with chirrupy pleasure-gardens. 

"Oh, princess, oh, self-respectful lady, if you reside there together with me, hè, Seetha, then you will not think of yourself as one from among human females.

The addressing expression hè, has some significance, as in hè, raam... hè, prabho... hè, bhagavaan... This has a signal of reverence than that the usual 'O' or 'oh,' for they are bland expressions of addressing.

"Revelling in humanly luxuries, over and beyond in heavenly luxuries also, you will not recollect humanly Rama, whose longevity is lessened. 

Vividly: 'you said that you enjoyed all humanly luxuries when you stayed at your in-law's place in Ayodhya, as at 3-47-4... they are nothing when compared with the luxuries I provide in Lanka... they are a + maanuSaan bhogaan 'super human luxuries...' as well as divyaan 'paradisiacal...' so you choose yourself between this forlorn state and a stately living...' Ravana spoke this as a perfect tempting debauch.

Ravana as devotee of Lakshmi is saying: 'If you come to Lanka with me and tatra vasatii 'while staying there...' another text for the above tatra vasa 'you stay there...' mayaa ' by me, a servant of yours, suchlike me...' ellipt. samarpitaan 'submitted, offered offerings...' maanuSaan ca divyaam ca bhogaan bhunjaanaa 'humanly, and heavenly luxuries, on enjoying...' maanuSiiNaam naariiNaam: dvitiiyena SaSTi 'one among human females...' na smariSyasi 'you do not reminisce...'

'You will not count yourself as a human female, if you come over to Lanka and enjoy the humanly and heavenly luxuries, which I, as a humble servant of yours, will offer...'

If you come there, you will not think of maanuSasya 'incarnate as man, Rama...' gata aayuSasya = gata, aayuSaH = acquired, longevity; 'Rama who acquired a longevity for eleven thousand years... raamasya 'about such a Rama... you will not think about him at all...' ellipt. naH sambandhinaH 'we, the related beings of Rama...' smariSyasi 'you think of...'

'you will stop thinking about humans and other humanly affairs, and you also will not think of Rama alone, but you will think about us, the accursed demons, the dependents and servants of the Supreme Person, Vishnu... and in doing so, your thinking shall lead towards our release from this accursed demon-hood...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

"Though Rama is the eldest son, king Dasharatha established his dear son Bharata as king, and because Rama is spineless he is put to flight to forests, and now, what is he and what am I, in matter of sovereignty.

Ravana as devotee says: raaj~naa 'one that rules from within...' like an antaryaami, 'an inner force... i.e., you as Goddess Lakshmi, raaj~naa 'by King Dasharatha...' as an inner force of Dasharatha, you made Dasharatha to select manda viiryaH, a priyaH, putram, bharatam 'spineless, not, the choicest, son, Bharata...' and sthaapayitvaa 'you made Dasharatha to establish Bharata on throne...' raaj~naa 'by the inner ruler, inner force... by you...' the King Dasharatha is incited to send his jyeSTaH 'eldest son...' also as said in vishNu sahasra naamaavali: jyeSTaH shreSTaH prajaapatiH 'eldest, best, ruler of people... Vishnu, is prasthaapito vanam 'sent away to forests...

’you are Goddess Lakshmi, an inner-ruler in all beings... though Dasharatha was uninterested to select Bharata you made Dasharatha, as his inner force, to select a spineless Bharata, and Bharata is established on the throne by Dasharatha, through you... besides, though Dasharatha was disinterested to send his dear eldest son Rama to forests, you as Dasharatha’s inner force, made Dasharatha to send Rama, the eldest, best, and the only ruler of people, namely Rama, [as said in Vishnu’s Thousand names,] to forests for the elimination of demons, and thereby to release us from our accursed being... hence you, as inner force of everybody, have to come with me, if Rama’s incarnation is to yield its results...’ Maheshvara Tiirtha.

"Rama is subverted from kingdom, thus dwindled is valour, thus winded down is his anima, thus he has become a pitiable one, thus he became an ascetic as nothing else is there for him to undertake, oh, broad-eyed lady, what do you aspire to do with such a Rama? 

When a tempter can convincingly prove that a woman's husband is 'unfit' then only he can succeed in his overtures. His theorematic reasoning is to let down Rama from Seetha's viewpoint, as she has broad-eyes, and she is supposed to see reality: 'Rama is rendered to nothing as said in an age-old saying bhagnaa kR^iSe bhaagavataa bhavanti 'when manly pursuits fail, he turns out as a sanctimonious person... sanyaasi, bairaag, a friar...' Hence, living with him here will cause only eye-soar in looking at these murky forests, to your wide-eyes... thus, come with me...'

Ravana as devotee says: bhaSTa raajyena; bhraSTam ariiNaam raajyam, yena tena 'subverted, enemies', kingdoms, by whom, by him...' 'he who has subverted all the kingdoms of enemies, with such a Rama...' gata cetasaa 'devoid of inner soul...' He by himself is the Cosmic Soul and no duality of souls occurs in the Absolute Soul. Because He has no duality, there will be no duality in his acts na tasya kaaryam, kaaraNam na vidyate... shruti. Then He is taapasena tapasvinaam: taapasa ina tapasvinaam 'for ascetics, lord, also an acetic...' because He is lord of all ascetics he must also be one with them...' saha raameNa tvam 'with, Rama, you...' ellipt. ayam vij~naapanam 'this supplication...' kariSyasi kim 'will you make over, isn't it?

'He who has snubbed down all enemy kingdoms, where enemies are not earthly enemies, and as he has no duality in his deeds, won't you make over this request of mine, in welcoming you to Lanka, to him...' Tiirtha.

"I, the king of all the demons, am hit by the arrows of Love-god and came to you in love, and instead of beseeching me to love you, your rejection and speaking this way, is unapt of you.

Or

"Although I am the king of all the demons, on seeing you I am hit by the arrows of Love-god and came to you, thus you love me... but rejecting me this way is unapt of you, as you alone will be loosing heavenly comforts, if you reject me. 

Ravana, the devotee is saying: 'I maybe the king of all the demons, but kaamaat 'longingly, devotedly, zealously...' iha aagatam 'to here, he who came...' manmadha shara aaviSTam prati here the last word prati 'towards' is to be taken as iva 'like, as though, deem...' then 'deeming me as though I am hit by the arrows of Love-god and talking nonsense...' svayam 'you personally... in your right mind' aakhyaatum na arhasi 'to say so, is inapt of you...'

"I may be a king of all the demons in universes, but I am a zealotry devotee of yours... but deeming me to be one who is hit by the arrows of Love-god and thus speaking nonsense... this way of your thinking of me and speaking to me, is unapt of you in the right your mind...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

"Oh, modest lady, on refusing me you surely become remorseful like Uurvashi who once kicked Puruurava with her feet. 

Uurvashi is one among the four celestial chief maidens, apsara-s, namely, Uurvashi, Rambha, Menaka and Tiolottama. When Vishnu was in His meditation all the other apsara-s came to Him to disturb His meditation. Knowing that, Vishnu gave birth to this Uurvashi from his things. Thus, she is called the one who came from thighs uuruH 'from thighs...' and this word is defined as uru vaSTi 'muchly, splendorous one...' Then the other apsara-s had to accept ashamedly that Uurvashi is a beauty of higher order. Kalidasa took this as his subject for his drama 'Vikramorvashiiyam.'

"He that Rama is merely a human, and in war he equals me not by my finger, oh, richly colourful lady, and I chanced here merely by your serendipity, thus you honour me and my desire to possess you..." Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. 

'Serendipity' is the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident... coined by Horace Walpole [1754] after The Three Princes of Serendip [now Sri Lanka,] a fairy tale. Now as a Lankan, let Ravana also say so.

Ravana, the devotee is saying: yuddhe 'in war...' yasya angulyaaH samaH ko api na asti 'whose, finger, equalling, whoever, even, not, there...' yaH saH raamaH ' who, he, is Rama... or, Vishnu Himself...' maanuSaH 'humanly incarnate...' tam 'him, such a Rama...' mama bhaagyena 'by my, fortune...' sampraaptam 'presently' let that Rama arrive [in Lanka...]' bhajasva 'him, that Rama, you hold him in honour...'

"In battlefield none can match that Rama even by his little finger, for He is none other than Vishnu, and such a Vishnu chanced here in the human incarnation as Rama, and let fortune betide me and let that Rama arrive in my Lanka, and you be instrumental to his arrival, then you may hold that Rama in high honour... for all this to happen first you come with me..." Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Vaidehi who is spoken thus is infuriated on her part and with her eyes bloodshot spoke these bitter words to the king of demons in that lonely lace. 

The lonely place is an advantageous place for such tempters. But if the tempted is self-controlled, nothing adverse can happen. raagam viviktaa iti vardhayanti 'inclination increases in isolation...' But Seetha is disinclined to any such advances or lures or temptations. Some discussion is there in endnote.

"How you wish to commit sins although saying that Kubera, a god reverenced by all of the gods, is your brother? All the demons will perforce get completely destroyed, oh, Ravana, for whom you the cruel and culpable one with uncontrolled senses is the king, and you will be blameworthy for the elimination of righteous demons like Vibheeshana, et al. 

"It may be possible to live after abducting Shaci Devi, the wife of Indra, somehow and anyhow there will be no liveability after abducting me, the wife of Rama. 

"Oh, demon, un-mirrored is the prettiness of prettyish Shaci Devi, and one may live long on forcibly snatching her away from the hands of the wielder of Thunderbolt, Indra, but to him who intimidates or abuses me or women like me, there will be no moksha, release from the cycle of rebirth, even if he has consumed amR^ita ambrosia." Thus Seetha spoke to Ravana. 

Seetha iterated twice about Shaci Devi for reinforcing her argument. She did not say 'on abducting me you will not survive...' but said 'on abducting me, or women like me...' this is to say that any husband devote-wife is not to be subjected to such humiliation. Further, this is for ashliila nivaaraNa artham 'to avoid obscenity from the mouth of this principal character in legend....' Govindaraja. As Seetha is unsure whether Ravana consumed ambrosia or not, but, 'if your-like malicious minded beings, though they have gulped amR^ita 'ambrosia' there is no moksha 'release, deliverance...' from death-birth cycle and that moksha is possible through wise thinking... and, as your soul is full with foulness, that unwise state of yours will never attain moksha...' Rama Tilaka Commentary.

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Who is a pati vrata - husband-devote?

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Seetha is considered as a topmost husband-devotee and there must be some reasons for this. A devote-wife is one who abides by her wedded husband through thick and thin. The reasons for the umpteen number of divorces that are happening all around the globe are incorporated in the following simple verses:

puruÿam sevate na anyam mano v˜k k˜ya karmabhi× |
lobhit˜ api pareõa arthia× s˜ sati loka bh¨ÿaõ˜ ||
dainyena pr˜thit˜ v˜ api balena vidh®t˜ v˜ api |
vastra ˜dyaŸh v˜sit˜ v˜ api na eva anyam bhajate satŸ ||
na anyam k˜mate citte s˜ vijñey˜ pati vrat˜ ||

'She who devotes herself to her own man, but not to any other man, with her heart, word and deed, she alone is the jewel in world... though enticed by others with riches or intimidated with forcefulness, or tempted with richly clothing [and others womanly fancies, but one on discarding them all] attends her own man... she who does not wish other man even in her heart of hearts, she alone is a husband-devote...'

As such, there are no extraordinary talents or traits that make an ideal woman as a husband-devote, except her abidance to the sacredness of marriage as an institution. The domestic quarrelling, bickering, nagging... all these persists in every home, but making a mountain of that anthill, will eventually lead to the collapse of that institution of marriage. No doubt, Seetha is a nagging, quarrelling, and sermonising, tongue-lashing woman but if it comes to her husband, she is undone without him, though he lost his empire, roaming in forests, eating trash etc., and yet she does not depart from her pledge to the institution of marriage.

Thus, this is the 48th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 49

 

Seetha's abduction takes place now. Ravana forcefully abducts Seetha in his air-chariot. She bewails and bemoans for Rama and Lakshmana and appeals to all nature to inform Rama about this abduction. Finally, she sees Jatayu, the eagle, and asks him to narrate her abduction to Rama.

 

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On hearing Seetha's words that valorous ten-headed Ravana loudly clapped in dissent for once and divulged his very mighty body. 

These beings, including Hanuma, change into titanic form when they are infuriated. A cruel aspect minus anger is not in consonance with each. Thus, Ravana got wild first, but he does not want to hide his reality before his Goddess Lakshmi, hence he divulged his real aspect. Maheshvara Tiirtha.

That wordsmith Ravana again spoke these words to Maithili, "Perhaps you have not heard about my valour and vanquishes in all your madness for Rama. 

Ravana as devotee is saying to Seetha: 'unheard are my valour and vanquishes na unmattayaa : matta janaat udgataa unmatta bhinna taa dR^ishayaa 'not mad... you are far from the maddened crowd, you are opposite of a mad personality...' na unmattayaa tvayaa na shrutau manye... 'though you are not a madcap in reality, you did not give any ear to my valour and vanity...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Once the demon Mahisha-asura was eliminated by Goddess Durga, a female, and Ravana is now talking to a female, [and maybe she is also in disguise like him.] If this woman assumes her real nature at the time of abduction, the abduction will not be easy and handy. Hence, before her assuming her real form, it is better to show his real entity. Thus, he clapped for once before changing into his real entity. Or, the role-play of a Brahman sanyasi is not in consonance with the villainous abduction and that garb of a Brahman itself is a hindrance to his original atrocious nature known to world as raa vaNa 'one who makes people to cry...' thus vexed with this role-paying of a Brahman, he clapped loudly and infuriately, for once. Rama Tilaka.

"Standing on the sky I can lift up the earth with two of my arms, I can completely gulp down any ocean, standing in war I can even put the Death to death. Indeed, I can split the Sun and splinter the earth with my splitting arrows, oh, mad woman, I can assume any form as I wish, and endow any wish you wish, such as I am, I must be your husband, behold me." So said Ravana when revealing his real nature. 

While the infuriated Ravana is saying in that way his eyes which by themselves are torchlit in their shine have became further bloodshot and blackened at their edges. Immediately discarding the gentle form of a Brahman friar, that younger brother of Kubera, Ravana, assumed his own ferocious form which is similar to the form of Terminator. That celebrated Ravana whose eyes are bloodshot as he is ensorcelled by desperate fury transmuted his form into a tend-faced, twenty-armed night-walker wearing golden ornaments of purified gold and appearing as a black tempestuous cloud. On discarding that guise of a Brahman friar that sovereign of demons Ravana educed his own physique and then that mighty bodied one attired in reddish clothing stood before Maithili observing that gem of a lady. 

He stood before her showing his mighty physique, expecting her to yield on seeing such a magnificent manly physique, which dissimilar to the girlish physique of her husband Rama.

She whose tresses are glossily blackish until their ends, and who has on her glittering jewellery and silken-ochry-sari, whereby who is imperceivable like sun's glaring shine, to such Maithili Ravana spoke. 

"If you wish to have a husband of well-renown in three worlds you seek shelter in me, oh, high-hipped lady, I alone will match up to you as husband. Ultimately you have a much-lauded husband in me, as such you oblige me, and I will not cause any displeasure to you at any point of time. Let your heart refrain from that humanly Rama and you start bringing round your heart towards me. 

"Oh, halfwitted lady, you who deem yourself a highly intellectual lady, listen, that mindless Rama who just by a word of a woman forebode kingdom along with all of his amiable people, and lives in this forest where the predators are on the prowl, thus he who is spurned off from kingdom, ungainful are his purposes, and who is even a short-lived human, I wonder by what merits you are impassioned for such a Rama?" Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. 

For the verses from 11 to 14 Maheshvara Tiirtha, a very ancient commentator, tries hard to establish Ravana as an absolute devotee of Goddess Lakshmi, for Ravana himself was their doorkeeper in heaven before his accursed being. He is one from the two doorkeepers in vaikuNTha 'abode of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi' called Jaya and Vijaya Ravana is Jaya, the doorkeeper. That commentary is like this. yadi aham patiH 'if, I am, the lord...' raakshasaam iti seSaH elliptic, 'of demons...' tava sadR^ishaH : kim bhR^itya - iti seSaH 'you befitting, elliptic, am I a befitting servant - no I am not...' 'Although I am not a good servant of yours, but if you wish to me be one, triSu lokeSu vikhyaataam yathaa tathaa 'as if to become famous in all the three worlds...' maam bhartaaram aashraya 'me, as servant, accept...' Here bharta is defined as shushruuSa aadinaa svaaminam bibharti iti bhartaa - bhR^itya iti arthaH 'one who serves his master by his services is bhartaa. Thus bhartaa does not only mean a husband but also a servant. Why should she accept Ravana now as a newly recruited servant? Because ciraaya tava shlaaghyaH 'for a long time I have been extolling you in vaikunTha as Jaya...' and I am a priya : priiNayati iti shshruuSa aadinaa svaaminam - iti priya bhR^ityaH 'a dear, earnest servant of yours...' maam bhajasva 'you know me thus as your humble servant...' maanuSe bhaava tyajataam 'humans only are to be saved..' - you leave this thinking and think that we the demons are also to be saved...' muuDhe paNDita maaninii mayi bhaava praNiiyataam 'Although I am an unread stupid, grace me too because I am your long serving servant...' Further, Rama is raajyaat cyutam 'not fallen from kingship, but he is a spurner of kingly pleasures, he thrusts these small things back with his foot...' why because a siddha artham - ashca asau siddha arthaH ca 'Vishnu is one with His purposes fulfilled... thus He does not care for a petty kingdom, when He is the King of Kings...' parimita aayuSam : parigatam - tyaktam; mitam - alpam - aayuH yena tam - a parimita aayuSam 'He is an eternal entity...' kaiH guNaiH - kaiH= anirvacaniiya; guNaiH= ananta kalyaaNa guNa shiila 'One with indefinable, illimitable auspicious merits...' anuraktaa asi 'you are impassioned for such a Vishnu, though... and I have no objection for that, but bless me too... durmati : duSTeSu api matiH - anugraahikaa buddhi 'He is not a mindless person, but he has a mind for the mindless and bad-minded persons like me... So please come with me and let your husband follow you to Lanka and accord salvation, as planned by you all...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

On saying that sentence to Maithili, who by herself is a nice talker and who is a proper one for addressing with nice words, that verily evil-minded demon Ravana maddened by lust drew nigh of Seetha and grabbed her, as Budha, the Jupiter grabs the Star Rohini in firmament. 

What happened to the lakshmaNa rekha? 'A boundary drawn by Lakshmana when he departed Seetha in search of Rama?' Some discussion about this is there in the endnote. Here, even though Ravana is su duSTa aatmaa, kaama mohitaa 'a very wicked souled and lustily crazed....' it is all for other women, but not towards Seetha. And thus he caught hold of Seetha, as the planet Budha, Jupiter, the son of Moon catches his own Star mother Rohini, a dear wife the Moon, reverentially. Maheshvara Tiirtha. Later commentators rejected this saying that, if it were to be so, then Ravana has Oedipus complex.

He that Ravana grabbed the lotus-eyed Seetha on lifting her up with his left hand at her plait of hair at nape, and with his right hand at her thighs. 

On seeing him who grabbed Seetha, who has incisive fangs, mightily armed and who is shining forth like a mountain crest and similar to Death, the forest deities quickly fled away terrorised by his terrorism. 

Then the miracle-air-chariot of Ravana which is miraculously designed to appear and disappear at the wish of its master, yoked with miraculous mules, and built with its golden wheels and parts, appeared afore Ravana braying noisily. Then he whose voice is strident that Ravana lifted her up by her waist and got Vaidehi up on the air-chariot intimidating her with bitter words. 

Agonised with anguish when gone into the captivity of Ravana, she that glorious Seetha wailed loudly for Rama saying 'oh, Rama,' which Rama has gone deep into the forest by then. Ravana who is infatuated with lust picked her up, which lady is disinclined for any kind of sensuality and who is verily writhing like the wife of King Cobra, and then he surged skyward and flew off with her in his air-chariot.

While that lord of demons is abducting her in the skyway, Seetha became frenzied with bewildered faculties and then bawled stridently like a hysterical person. 

"Haa, greatly dextrous Lakshmana... oh, rejoicer of your mentor... you are incognisant of me who am being abducted by this demon who is a dissembler. 

Seetha tongue-lashed this Lakshmana alone in the earlier chapters and him alone she is addressing now, that too firstly, before calling Rama, that too addressing as 'dextrous one...' Is she self-contradictory? Not so, 'Lakshmana is the one who can protect even the self-reliant Rama, then where is the question of his not protecting Seetha from any calamity?' is her reasoning. On the other hand, Lakshmana left the hermitage just now, so he must be within earshot, while Rama went into deep of the forest long back.

"Oh, Raghava, you have relinquished your high-life, happiness, and riches for the sake of righteousness, and though you avowed to protect your observants, you are unobservant of me who am being abducted by the unrighteousness itself. Oh, enemy-inflamer Rama, I reckon that you are an absolute controller of uncontrollable beings, I wonder why you are not controlling this kind of sinner, Ravana, indeed?" This is how Seetha started her cry in wilderness. 

"Indeed, the result for an evil act will not be apparent instantaneously. Even the time becomes a factor in the matter of cause and effect, as with the crops becoming cookable after certain time lag." Thus, she is addressing Ravana now. The Time has battered your brains and as an infringer you have undertaken this particular exploit, whereby you will get a devastating and life-ending tribulation from Rama." Thus, she upbraided Ravana. An honest wife of a glorious one who aspires nothing but honesty, such a wife of Rama as I am, I am being abducted, thus the aspiration of Kaikeyi and her kinfolk has now come true. Oh, god!" Thus, she soliloquised. 

Rama also talks in this way when Viraadha abducted Seetha in the opening chapter of this Aranya Kanda. This small talk is more humanly as said: supramatta kupitaanaam bhaava j~naanam dR^iSTam 'in the delirious or furious conditions, one's own heart is outspoken...' and if it is spoken in anger none but their antagonists are envisaged, firstly.

"I call the attention of the flowered Karnikaara trees of Janasthaana, you inform Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha." Thus, she is addressing the woods and others on the ground from air-chariot. I pray you who are with the bustle of swans and saarasa water birds, oh, River Godavari, you promptly tell Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha. 

This does not mean that this request is as good as asking that river to overflow its banks to go to Rama and tell the news. It is: "I pray you to tell this news to any one of the bustling birds in your lap and that bird swiftly takes to flight to go to Rama and informs him, because the birds are also sympathetic with Rama and with me, as well...' This is hamsa sandesha, saarasa sandesha which idea became more famous at a later time for the emergence of masterpieces like megha sandesha of Kalidasa and hamsa sandesha in nala damayanti upaakhyaana.

"I also venerate you, the sylvan deities that travel in this forest with diverse trees or, those that abide on the treetops, you may please inform my husband that I am being stolen. 

The word namaskaromi is of two parts: namaH, karomi and this namaH is again cleavable as na mama 'not, mine...' 'I have no 'I-ness' and I wholly submit my 'my-ness' unto you...' Thus namaH kaomi is 'I am making myself in submission to you...' and if this said with the gesture of adjoined palms called an~jali, which in Latin is iungo, iungere and if iun is read as an` and ng be read as j~na of Sanskrit, this iungo is also an~jali as Latin has many Sanskrit words in it. Then this is called namaskaara baaNa 'a salutation-arrow' more like a cupid's arrow to bring two together... not necessarily a male and a female, but any two or more, in veneration or friendship.

"Or, over there, some few beings that are living over there on the ground below, I seek shelter of all the flocks of birds and hoards of animals, and I pray you to convey this news. 

Seetha firstly appealed to the trees frenziedly. But reasoning herself that the trees can tell only when Rama comes to them, for they cannot move, and then she appealed to River Godavari and her swans. Presuming that the water loving water birds may not penetrate the deep forest, and then she appealed the sylvan deities presiding on the treetops. Again presuming that these sylvan deities of forests may not be able to see through the thick of forest, she is now asking the animals and birds that usually move on the ground, to locate Rama. This entire criss-cross thinking has happened within split seconds.

"Inform my husband about his dear and loftier wife than his lives, saying that, 'helpless Seetha is stolen by Ravana.' If that ambidextrous Rama comes to know about me, even if I am taken to heavens, or, even if I am impounded by Death, that great-mighty Rama brings me back, on aggressing against all of the gods in heaven, or, against Yama, the Death God." Thus, she appealed to one and all, but in vain. 

She that wide-eyed Seetha who is highly anguished and bewailing with pitiable words then with a wide-eyed expectancy saw the eagle Jatayu perching on a tree. She that well-waisted lady who has gone into the captivity of Ravana craned and stared at the eagle, and worsted by fear she shrieked squeakily with a stuttering voice that is walloped with anguish. 

"Oh, fatherly Jatayu, see me, like an orphanized one I am pitiably abducted by this lord of demons with sinister deeds. It is impossible for you to forestall this merciless night-walker, for he is formidable, shining forth with cunning conquests, also thus this wicked minded one is with weaponry. Oh, Jatayu, everything about my abduction shall be narrated to Rama, or to Lakshmana, as it has happened in its entirety." Thus Seetha supplicated Jatayu. 

Nobility will not seek help selfishly; if help is sought that way, the seeker instantly becomes an ignoble, falling from the heights of personal nobility. Seetha may be an impetuous lady but if she talking to a noble elderly person or being, she talks judiciously in all her humbleness. Here she is not asking Jatayu to wage a war against Ravana to save her. She is asking Jatayu to convey the news of her abduction to Rama, because as an old eagle, as old as her father-in-law, Jatayu may not fight back this Ravana successfully. Besides, Ravana is with weaponry and a cunning warrior. Jatayu may be a powerful eagle, but if it comes to weapons and missiles, a natural being cannot withstand the artificial ammunition of war. Hence, visualising the danger in Jatayu's attempting any combat with Ravana, she is asking him to be the carrier of news, as all the trees, river and her birds, sylvan deities, and the other birds and animals are not heedful of her request, and this eagle alone is beheld, besides being an old acquaintance.

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Is Seetha an 'untouchable'?

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Whether Seetha is touched by Ravana or not - is a much debated issue by ancient commentators. When Ravana is carrying a curse on his head, that makes his head/heads to be splintered, if he lustfully touches any woman, against her will, it is questioned how his head is not splintered now, when touching Seetha. Maheshvara Tiirtha brings in skaanda puraaNa which says that: ch˜y˜ gr˜hitvam api asi sarva vidy˜ viþ˜rade | keþa ch˜y˜m par˜m®þya j˜nu ch˜yam tahaiva ca | g®hŸtv˜ j˜nakŸm h®ÿ÷o lank˜m pr˜y˜ tath˜ eva ca | 'Ravana being an expert in all branches of sciences, caught Janaki by the shadow of her head-hair and the shadow of thighs...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

For this Rama Tilaka says yet another way of catching Seetha, as explained for the verse at 3-49-17: muurdhajeSu kareNa : muudhaja iSu kareNa 'best ones, arrows, with hands...' 'with the hands that handle the best arrows... Seetha is caught...' vaama kareNa uurvo saH pari jagraaha here the word uuru which usually translates as 'thighs' is said as 'feet...' 'Ravana caught hold of her feet as the Planet Budha, the Jupiter caught the feet of his mother Star Rohini, requesting his personal deity Goddess Lakshmi to come to Lanka. Rama Tilaka.

Catching Seetha while she is standing is not possible in both the ways as said above. She should be in a supine position on ground to handle her from under her thighs or at the nape of the neck. Her falling on ground is not explicitly said in these verses in Aranya. But Seetha says at verse 3-49-34, that 'in a state of helplessness, I am abducted...' This word vivasha, vi vashatvam is not only 'helplessness...' but also a state of 'swooning...' She repeats the same wording in Sundara Kanda and even in Yuddha Kanda II at verse 8 of 116 sarga, while replying Rama's accusation, in saying that yadi aham g˜tra samsparþam gat˜ asmi vivaþ˜ prabho 'when I was 'helpless' I was touched by Ravana... fault is not mine, gods alone have fouled it...' Thus, it is assumed that Seetha was in a short swoon when caught by Ravana. Then again, when she was rolling on ground in the same state Ravana lifts her up by her waist into his air-chariot.

All this discussion is to establish Seetha is an 'untouchable' for others, and for fear of a blemish to her paativratya 'husband-devoutness...' which topic will be raised by no other than Rama, after war. The absolute devotees of Rama or Seetha hold Ravana's touching Seetha, as an intolerable act. Thus, to portray that Seetha is 'untouchable' there are many more legends woven around this topic.

One among it is lakshmaNa rekha 'Lakshmana's drawing a line around the hermitage, like a firewall...' When Seetha transgressed this firewall and came out of it to offer alms to Ravana, in Brahman sanyaasi's guise, she in her fear fell down on ground, as said in aadhyaatma raamaayaNa in the verse: tato vid˜rya dharaõŸm nakhai× uddh®tya b˜hubhi× | tolayitv˜ rathe kÿipt˜ yayau kÿipram vih˜yas˜ || 'then [Ravana] cleaved the earth with his nails, uplifting that clod with his hands and with a balancing act put it in the air-chariot, and quickly went away in skyway...'

Another anthology says that Rama while going after the Golden Deer, hid the real Seetha and placed a maayaa siitaa 'an illusory Seetha...' in the cottage. This deceptive Seetha is continued until her self-immolation after Great War. Real Seetha emerged out of the pyre instead of this Maya Seetha. Then it is questioned, whether the bemoaning and bewailing of Rama for Seetha, throughout the later part of the epic is to hoodwink the readers or so? It is then replied that this also is one among the many miraculous effects of Vishnu viSNu maaya All this culminates into the saying of Bhagavad Gita: vyavas˜y˜tmik˜ buddhi× eka iha kuru nandana | bahu þakh˜ hi anant˜h ca buddhayo avyavas˜yiõ˜m || 2-41 'the object to determine is distinct singularly, and many and unending are those who say manifoldly with indistinct minds....'

Nothing happens by mere touching of Seetha, for she is a resolute lady to abide by her husband Rama. Valmiki is very clear in picturing her to be a stubborn and staunch husband-devote, and no more mythological bends are required to prove her chastity. She herself proved this with her agni pravesha 'self-immolation...' to all concerned. If Seetha acquired a blemish by mere touch, then Draupadi will be in a more pathetic state, since she is physically handled by Keecaka, that too when she is in her senses. The common feature in both the cases is, some other man 'touching their braids...' A woman's head hair cannot be touched by anybody in molestation. atra daþagrŸvo atyanta avamati r¨pam kula kÿaya karam keþa grahaõam svasya bhavitavya anur¨patay˜ k®tav˜ | keþa grahaõasya - sabh˜ nayana - paruÿa bh˜ÿaõa - vastra apaharaõa - ˜di apekÿay˜ - vadhopekÿay˜ ca atyanta avamati karatvam kula kÿaya karatva ca bh˜rate prati p˜ditam - dk 'Ravana is predestined for self-ruin, hence touched the braid of Seetha, and touching the braid of a lady, dragging her to king's court, roughly talking to her, undressing her, all these lead to the destruction of one's own clan, as demonstrated in Maha Bharata...' In vana parva of Bharata, when Draupadi goes on complaining that 'I am dragged by my braid... I am dragged by my braid...' Krishna says to Draupadi: rudiÿyanti striyo hi evam yeÿ˜m kruddh˜ asi bh˜mini | satyam te pratij˜n˜ami r˜jñ˜ r˜jñŸ bhaviÿyasi || 'you women always go on weeping for such tings... [having suffered in such a way,] I promise that you alone will become the empress...' So also, Seetha is instrumental for the elimination of evil, called Ravana together with all his clansmen. This is as pledged by Veadavati, an earlier incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. As such, Seetha has to go to Lanka to attend that complete eradication, according to mythology.

Whether it is myth or real she is not all a frailty to yield up that easily nor a weak bodied one for an easy molestation. She travelled the length and breadth of the country barefooted, that too in impenetrable forests. These ladies of lore had their yogic faculties with which Gaandhaari, the mother Duryodhana, in Maha Bharata makes him a diamond-bodied one, excepting his thighs. Their words come true if they utter them with certain concentration. At the time of burning the tail of Hanuma in Sundara Kaanda Seetha says: siito bhava 'cool down...' 'Let the fire on the tail of that monkey be coolant to him...' and it happened accordingly. That burning tail burnt whole Lanka, except some places, without any scorching effect on Hanuma. Likewise she would have said at Ravana hato bhava 'dead, you are...' but she does not say so. Rama's pledge to saints and sages to eliminate evil on earth is to be fulfilled by Rama alone.

Leaving the untouchablness or otherwise of Seetha aside, since every negative act is to be solemnised, let us listen to the fruits of listening or reading of this episode, siitaa apaharaNa 'abduction of Seetha...' as it involves the elimination of evil on earth, Skanda Puraana says 'nothing inauspicious will happen to those best people who listen this episode of Seetha's abduction...'

sŸt˜ apaharaõam ca eva þ®õvanti narottam˜× |
na teÿ˜m aþubham devi bhaviÿyati kad˜cana ||- sk˜nda

Thus, this is the 49th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 50

 

Jataayu confronts Ravana on hearing the wailing of Seetha. He boldly forestalls Ravana and his air-chariot in the sky itself, and as an elderly being he reviles Ravana from the viewpoint of righteousness befitting to kings, but of no avail. His dilemma is that he cannot take flight to Rama's place, nor he can forestall Ravana until Rama comes. Yet, he persists to affront Ravana.

 

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Jataayu who is slumbering away craned and stared on hearing the voicing of Seetha and then he saw Ravana and even Vaidehi. That best bird majestic Jataayu with a very sharp beak and appearing like a mountain peak, then uttered these words of expediency still perching on a tree. 

"Oh, brother, now it is inapt of you to undertake a deplorable deed. I am one of those who abide by perpetual probity and avowed to truthfulness. Such as I am, oh, Decahedral-demon Ravana, I am the mightiest king of eagles known by the name Jataayu.

This self-assured statement of Jataayu is like this: aham puraaNe dharme sthitaH 'I abide by the sanaatana dharama, 'The Eternal Virtue...' 'belonging to the master and the servant...' aham daashyaH, 'I am a humble servant of Supreme Soul...' aham satya samshrayaH, 'I am sheltered by the Everlasting Truth... that Everlasting Truth is made known in satyam j~naanam anantam brahma... and thus bhagavat ekopaaya niSTaH, 'I have a complete dedication unto god...' - 'I with my unwavering determination am subservient to Him alone, and such as I am, in my presence you cannot undertake a deplorable deed, deplorable to that Eternal Virtue or to three worlds...' On telling about himself, next he started to tell about his master. Govindaraja.

"Rama, the son of Dasharatha, is the master of all the world, one similar to Mahendra and Varuna, the Rain-god, and the one who is connected with the well-being of all the world. 

The simile of Indra and Rain-god to Rama is to say that 'Rama is a bestower of rains and livelihood like Indra, the presiding deity of east, through the Rain-god, the presiding deity of west, unlike you who are a pilferer... and he is the preserver of all the worlds... so, you also get persevered by him, because he is also the lord of yours...' Govindaraja.

"Whom you desire to abduct now, that best lady is Seetha by her name, and this glorious one is the legitimate wife of that preserver of all the worlds, namely Rama. How a king adhering to probity can lay his hands on the wives of others? If it is a king's wife, oh, great-mighty Ravana, she is to be safeguarded particularly. Reverse your filthy course, or fortuity, or mind form laying your hands on other's wives. A sagacious person does not undertake that deed by which others deplore him. As with the protection of one's own wife from somebody's laying hands on her, other person's wife is also to be protected in that way. 

If it is asked that a king's wife is a special entity to be protected, and then other's wives are less fortunate or what? Not so, it is said that the wife of a king is a motherly entity. Other's wives may become sisters or sister-in-laws etc., but a mother is a mother. The difference in dealing with a king's wife and with wife of a commoner is that of a difference between a sinner and a criminal. Either way unrighteous it is. The very basic concept of wooing others' wives itself, is both a crime and a sin. 'R^itaa upeyaat...' iti shaastraat - gamyaa sva bhaaryaa | anyaa bhaaryaa agamyaa iti- maadhava aacaarya - dk.

Here the word 'king' also denotes the god, as Manu uses the word 'raajaa' for Yama, the Terminator yamo vaivasvato raajaa yaH tava eSa hR^iodi sthitaa... For this, Ravana may refute saying, 'this Rama may be a god of yours... but not mine...' And for this it is countered in saying, devaanaam ca devataaanaam ca saamaanyam adhi daivam... 'there is no your god or my god, but god is one... to everyone...'

Jataayu is asking for a reversal of Ravana's mind or course, otherwise misfortune likely to happen to him. Further, being a king one shall never do a deplorable and unkingly act. anena loka ninditam karma na kartavyam iti | tath˜ ca viþõu pur˜õe - parityajyet artha k˜mo dharma pŸý˜ karau n®pa | dharmam api aþubhodarkam loka vik®ÿ÷am eva ca - dk

"If the means to gain probity, or prosperities, or even pleasures are inconspicuous in scriptures, oh, the scion of Paulastya, then even the erudite scholars will conduct themselves following the king and his demeanour. 

There is another flex for the raajaanam anu as raajaanam iva 'like king, like subjects...' shiSTaaH 'anyone who takes recourse to righteous behaviour...' Because the king shall possess an aptitude to go through the scriptures and ascertain what is right and what is wrong, then only his subjects will follow likewise. Even if the course of conduct is imperceptible in scriptures, a king shall decide the right way, and thus the subjects automatically follow him, in the same way... thus, 'being a king, yet behaving like a criminal and a sinner, is inapt of you...' so said Jataayu to Ravana. Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Ravana is the son of Vishravasa who again is the son of Pulastya, the brainchild of Brahma, who are all supposed to be the well-read scholars in all scriptures and sciences. Hence, Jataayu is addressing Ravana to remember his scholarship, which is in effrontery with his present behaviour. And the suggestion that 'protect wives of others persons as you protect your own wife...' is to say that 'if somebody from your subjects, on following your present path, gains access to your wife Mandodari, do you tolerate?'

"A king is the best repository for probity, prosperities, and pleasures, and whether it is probity or felicity or even iniquity that will emerge from the fount called king. 

Other mms read raajaa dharmasya kaamasya... then 'the king is the root cause for the prevalence of probity, felicity etc. anena prajaa raajaanam anusaranti iti suucitam... dk 'subjects follow what a king does...'

"Oh, prominent one among demons, deviltry and mercuriality are but natural for you demons, but how you have amassed affluence, as with an evildoer attaining an aircraft that puts him to flight to heaven.

Or

"You by your nature are a devilish and mercurial personality though you have come from a decent lineage, how you have become an outranking demon among demons and how you could attain kingdom, which is to be ruled righteously, like an evildoer attaining a heaven-bound aircraft. 

"He whose nature is such, that nature is perhaps impossible to efface, a sermon does not dwell in the heart of an evil-minded one for a long time, indeed.

Or

"He whose nature itself is vile, it is perhaps impossible for him to efface it, and in the residence of such an evil-minded person, evilly acquired prosperity does not dwell for a long time, indeed. 

Ruling the kingdom righteously, in itself is a merit that leads that king to heavens. When the kingdom itself is acquired unrighteously, and so the oppulence, there is no question of merit or heaven, or even an air ticket to that heaven. For such persons, all these are ad hoc luxuries. anena p˜piÿ÷asya aiþvaryam na bhavati | pr˜ptam cet api na tiÿ÷ati - adharm˜t ca eva nahuÿa× pratipede ras˜talam - k˜mandaka - dk

The reference to an aircraft that carries Ravana to heaven is not the Pushpaka aircraft, which he already grabbed from Kubera. The airports of Pushpaka aircraft are in the mortal worlds and in heavens it can land at the best in Indra's heaven, say paradise. There is no entry for these petty airships into the higher realms of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshvara if piloted by Ravana like demons.

"When that great-mighty Rama has not transgressed either in your country or in your city Lanka, then how you become a transgressor in respect of that noble-souled Rama? 

Vividly: 'you may say that abduction of enemy's wife is my hobby... but you are abducting the wife of one who is neither a friend nor an enemy of yours... why for is this fancy when viewed in the prospective of righteousness or polity of kingships... anena anapar˜dhiÿu samŸcŸneÿu apar˜dho na kartavyam iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca udyoga parve - mah˜ bh˜rate - duryodhanam prati bhagavad vacanam - ˜tm˜nam k®ntati hi eÿa vanam paraþun˜ yath˜ | yatsamyak vartam˜neÿu mithy˜ r˜jan pravartate || iti - dk 'No unilateral aggression is desirable at the unaggressive lot... Thus, Lord Krishna says to Duryodhana in Udyoga parva of Maha Bharata: broadly: 'a wood is felled by its own kin-wood, namely a wooden shaft attached to the axe... so, the present pseudo-kings will be felled down by their own kinsfolk...'

Jataayu's questioning is the same that was once Seetha asked Rama in the early chapters of Aranya, 'why wage a war without a cause...' She must have understood the answer by now by the acts of Ravana.

"If Rama of indefatigable deeds firstly eliminated Khara who is stationed at Janasthaana, and who transgressed for the sake of Shuurpanakha, tell me what in actuality is the highly overstepping behaviour of Rama in that matter, whereupon you are stealing off with the wife of such a lord of world? 

"Instantly deliver up Vaidehi. Let not the disastrous and glowing fire-like eyes of Rama, which transmogrify so when he assumes fury, burn you down as the Thunderbolt of Indra once burnt the demon Vritta. You are unconscious that you have presently bundled a lethally venomous serpent at the fringe of your attire, and you are equally unwary that the Terminator's lasso is presently loosened around your neck. Oh, cultured one, that weight alone is to be shouldered by which a man is not brought down, and that repast alone is to be consumed by which nothing upsets. 

Futile is the experimentation with impossible undertakings as they will be upsetting normalcy. anena aþakyam karma na kartavyam iti s¨citm | tath˜ ca k˜mandake - þakya aþakya paricchedam kury˜t budhy˜ prasannatay˜ | kevalam danta bhaðg˜ya dantina× þaila t˜ýanam - iti - dk 'capability or incapability is to be assessed firstly, with a judicious mind... one's own teeth may not be hit with a stone, only to examine how easily they can be broken by that stone...'

"Who will undertake a deed that yields neither probity, nor deference, nor distinction but results in just physical drudgery? 

The words kiirti, yashaas may look synonymous but have been defined separately. kiirti is the fame which arises from acts of valour, etc., while yashas is the fame which arises from acts of charity and the like. In another way kiirti is the renown obtained from doing merited and socio-economic deeds done through conducting Vedic rituals and the like, and yashas is the renown obtained from having riches, wealth, and affluence. Rama Tilaka says that kiirti = deshaantara khyaati fame which 'spreads in countries beyond one's own country...' while yashas = sva desha khyaaati is 'the fame confined to one's own country.' Dr. Satya Vrat is of the opinion that 'which of the two explanations of the commentator, Rama Tilaka, is acceptable and more reasonable we cannot say in our present stage of knowledge... In fact the commentator himself is not sure; one strikes him at one time, and another at another place...' Kulluka Bhatt in his commentary on manu dharma shaastra says that jiivataH khyati ruupam - yashaH 'fame in living time is yashaH and the other mR^itasya khyaati ruupam - kiirtim 'the fame that remains after death is kiirti

Fruitless, wearisome undertakings are meaningless thus they need not be undertaken. ananena niÿphalam ˜y˜sakaram karma na ˜rambhaõŸyam iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca manu× - na karma niÿphalam kury˜t yasm˜t asukhodayam - dk

"I have dedicated myself to the kingdom of my fathers and forefathers according to tradition, and sixty thousand years have elapsed since I was born. You are youngish whereas I am oldish, you are an armoured archer darting arrows from an air-chariot, whereas I am pensile bird in an open sky. Nevertheless, on taking Vaidehi you cannot abscond safely. 

"It will be incapable of you to forcibly abduct Vaidehi when I keep an eye one her, as with the defilement of definitive Vedic scriptures by the logicians, dialecticians, materialists and suchlike non-believers, with their conjectural logic.

Or

"Veda-s are definitive in their canons and their authority is established beyond doubt, yet the doubtful scholarly logicians still try to pamper their import with their conjectural logic, and when I am watchful of what is going on I do not let you pamper Seetha, as such take this caution and release her. 

The Indian materialists called caarkavaa-s, or, the nihilists like Sage Jaabaali, who tries to preach nihilism to Rama, and the non-conformists to Veda-s, called a-Vaidika-s like Buddhists and Jain-s etc., try hard to let down what Veda says, with all their masterly dialectics. Even then, at one stage or the other, they all yield up, or a stalemate, or a faux pas occurs in their debates. Thus, no scholar need abuse the scriptures, for he does not know the subject in its entirety, or what those scriptures contain. anena þruti pratipanno artho na ˜bh˜sai× tarkai× b˜dhayitum þakyata iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca manu× - yo avamanyeta te t¨bhe hetu þ˜stra ˜þray˜t nara× | sa s˜dhubhi× bahiÿk˜ryo n˜stiko veda nindaka× || - dk

This Seetha is compared with Veda-s, one to many times, for the reason of her sacredness as a devout husband-devotee. Sugreeva also says this alone at 4-6-5: 'for I will fetch her very soon, like the retrieval of Scriptures of Veda-s...

Basing on these references of Seetha to Vedic canons, there is a thinking that the subject of Ramayana is the problem of god in retrieving the lost word, where that word was with the god at the beginning. Seetha is Veda, the word, Gayatri etc. And god has lost it. In search of that word, Veda, Gayatri, the god started his search. In his search he helps all those who abide by 'word' or 'faithful to word' and ultimately annihilates the demons that falsify or abuse the 'word.'

"Stay for a moment, oh, Ravana, if you are valiant enough you can combat with Rama who will return right away, and at his hand you will be slain and sprawling on earth in the same way as Khara sprawled earlier. 

Or optionally, you can combat with me in which meantime Rama will come hither...

"He who eliminated demons and ogres in combats time after time, that Rama though apparently attired in jute-cloths like a meek-saint, will become a towering-inferno in a given combat, and he eliminates you very soon. What can possibly be done by me when those princes have gone far-off! It is beyond the scope of my fetching them in time! You knave, you who are scared of them will now be lost to my blockade, without a doubt. When I am alive you cannot lead away this auspicious, lotus-leave-eyed Seetha, the dear queen of Rama. 

"But I must definitely accomplish something to forestall you till they come, for I cannot willingly depart from here to fetch any of the two brothers, and that deed I needs must do shall be agreeable to the great-souled Rama, likewise even to Dasharatha, even at the stake of my life. 

"Stopoff! Stopoff! Oh, Decahedral Ravana, briefly learn of me as how I jettison you from your best air-chariot, as with the unloading of a burdensome fruit from its sepals. Oh, nightwalker, I will be giving guestship to you in a duel as long as I am alive. 

Thus, this is the 50th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 51

 

The combat of Jataayu and Ravana ensues now, as Ravana was adamantine to the righteous sermons of Jataayu. In combating with Ravana, Jataayu shatters Ravana's bows, arrows, and chariot and kills the mules of the chariot and plucks off the head of the charioteer with his beak. Further Jataayu attacks on the body of Ravana lacerating severally. Enraged at the bird-hits Ravana severs that eagle's wings, feet, and sides. Then seeing that fallen eagle Seetha weeps over, as if Jataayu is her own relative.

 

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When Ravana is spoken to by Jataayu with judicious words, Ravana's eyes reddened infuriately, and his burnished golden ear-knobs flickered injuriously, and that lord of demons dashed towards the lord of birds, intolerantly. 

Ravana's ear-knobs jerked flickeringly as he gnashed his teeth in anger, as if they are fireballs. Here another type of rendering for this verse is available in other versions, which reads: iti uktasya yath˜ ny˜yam r˜vaõasya ja÷˜yuÿ˜ | kruddhasya agni nibh˜× sarv˜ reju× vimþati d®ÿ÷aya× || 'thus when Jataayu spoke to Ravana in judicious words, all the twenty eyes of infuriated Ravana are torched, like torchlit fires...'

As with two gigantic clouds up-heaved by the tornadic gusts will be hard hitting each other tempestuously in sky, the combat between those two, Ravana and Jataayu, became tempestuous in the sky. As with a startling combat between two gigantic and winged mountains, called Mt. Maalyavanta-s, that combat between the eagle and demon then became a startling one. 

One commentator said that one Mt. Maalyavanta is in Dandaka forest and the other in Kishkindha, while another commentator said that one is in Dandaka forests and the other is nearby Mt. Meru. There appears to be no second Mt. Maalyavanta and the poet seems to be taking one mountain and mirroring it, and thus saying that if two selfsame mountains were to confront, then it will be disastrous. This is to narrate the equivalence between their courage and strength.

Then the great-mighty Ravana incessantly stormed the lord of eagles Jataayu, with arrows that have excruciating and highly dreadful arrowheads, like tubular arrows, iron arrows, and with arrows that have crescentic arrowheads. That eagle Jataayu who is the lord of winged- chariots, namely birds, in turn sustained those arrays of Ravana's arrows in that combat. But that great-mighty Jataayu severally made gashes on the body of Ravana with his two feet that have gashing claws for that bird is with best stamina. Now the Decahedral demon Ravana infuriately took up ten deadly arrows that are similar in their shine to the Shafts of the Terminator, wishful of the elimination of his enemy. That highly energetic Ravana released and impaled the eagle with straight shooting arrows on fully stretching the bowstring up to his ear, whose steel-pointed arrowheads are sharp, hurtful, and deadly. 

That Jataayu on seeing teary-eyed Jaanaki in the chariot of the demon forcefully lunged towards that demon heedless of arrows that are lunging at him. That unexcelled bird of high refulgence then shattered Ravana's bow which is decorated with pearls and gemstones, and on which an arrow is admitted targeting the eagle, just by the pair of his bare feet. Ravana convulsed in anger then took up another bow and stormed hundreds and thousands of arrow storms. Nested in the arrows shot by Ravana that lordly bird Jataayu then shone forth in that combat like a bird that obtains a readymade nest. On winnowing those arrays of arrows with both of his wings, he that highly refulgent Jataayu shattered the mighty bow of Ravana with both of his feet. That highly resplendent lord of birds also blasted off the armour of Ravana, which is glowing and flamelike in its flare, with both of his feet.

The word used here for armour is sharaavara and for this Pt. Satya Vrat says: 'Another word which is also not noticed by Monier Williams is sharaavara. It means an armour kavaca and occurs at least twice in the Ramayana...' i.e., here and at 3-64-49 of this canto.

Mighty Jataayu also knocked off the ghost-faced mules yoked to the chariot of Ravana which are covered in golden armours and tantivy in fastness. Then that great-chariot which is flourishing with three bamboos from chassis to yoke, and which traverses just by its steersman's wish, and which is crafted fantastically with gem-studded body and stairs, or, whose wheels are crafted with gold and gemstones, and which in its flare is like a Ritual-fire, Jataayu splintered down even that chariot of Ravana. Jataayu swiftly collapsed the parasol of Ravana which in shine is mirroring the full moon, along with the regalia of white-royal-fur-fans, together with the demons handling them for fanning Ravana. Again that highly energetic and imposing king of birds pecked off the robust head of the charioteer of Ravana with beak. Now Ravana who is with his devastated bow, devoid of chariot, dispatched are his horses and departed is his charioteer, and such as he is, he on grabbing Vaidehi by her torso, or, placing her on the lower end of his torso, jumped to earth. 

Again the problem of 'untouchability of Seetha' occurred. Hence that compound ankena aadaaya vaidehiim can be expressed in two ways, one is like the usual villain's grabbing by torso, and the other is like an ardent devotee of Goddess Lakshmi, keeping her on his torso. This is similar to the method adopted by Viraadha while handling Seetha.

On seeing Ravana who is foundered onto earth from his crumbled vehicle, all beings like sylvan deities, caarana-s, siddha-s and suchlike, reverenced that lordly eagle Jataayu. But on seeing the commandant of birds Jataayu is fatigued owing to his senescence, Ravana is gladdened and he again rose up to skies taking Maithili. The highly resplendent king of eagles Jataayu swiftly rose to sky dashing practically to forestall Ravana, which demon's assault devices are all demolished by now save for a single sword, but who is cheerful to spirit away the daughter of Janaka, and actually spiriting away holding her onto his flank, and Jataayu spoke this to such Ravana. 

"You mean-minded Ravana, you abduct her whose husband wields arrows that touch off like the Thunderbolt of Indra, and this spite of yours is definitely for the destruction of all the demons. As one thirsteth drinketh water, you drinketh venomous drink along with your friends, relatives, ministers, armies, and with your accomplices, as this abduction of Seetha itself is squirrelling away dangerous poison. As with the mindless adventurers quickly getting ruination for they undertake self-ruinous exploits, unknowing the backlashes thereof, so also you too will ruin that quickly with this mindless adventure. You are tethered for termination with the lasso of the Terminator, as with a fish that can go nowhere on its biting fishhook with a piece of flesh. How do you untether yourself from that lasso of the Terminator, even if you go anywhere? 

Vividly: The Terminator gives a sinner a longest rope possible to hang himself from a tallest tree. Perchance there may be fish that bites the bait, stripping fishhook from fish line, dives deep down to escape from the fisherman, and yet it cannot survive even there, because the fishhook is already in its throat, which the fish can neither vomit nor swallow. Thus, it is destined to die. Likewise, you bit the baited hook called Seetha and running away with that bait and hook around your neck, thereby the Terminator has already lassoed His noose around your neck, and perchance you may presently abscond from this hermitage, but not from that noose, called Rama's arrow, for a long time.

"But, oh Ravana, the unassailable Raghava-s of Kakutstha dynasty will nevermore condone your assailing this hermitage. Like a dastard you are committing a crime of thieving Seetha when none at home in the footsteps of thieves, this thieving is contemptible to society and condemnable by valiant ones. Stay for a moment, oh, Ravana, if you are valiant enough you can combat with Rama who will return right away, and at his hand you will be slain and sprawling on earth in the same way as Khara sprawled earlier. 

This verse is a repeat of verse at 3-50-23, and such iterations are not for want of paucity of verses or verbiage, but they are reckoned as the determination of the character to express his/her stance in similar terms.

"A person undertakes such an unrighteous and fateful activity if only death looms large on him. You too have undertaken this unrighteous fateful activity only for your self-ruination. If sin is consequential to any given activity who will undertake it? Even if that person vies with the Self-Born God and Lord of the Universe, namely Brahma, will he undertake it?" Thus Jataayu advised Ravana. 

Even on speaking those commonsensical words to Ravana, Jataayu found him carrying off Seetha heedlessly, then that valorous Jataayu descended on the hind-side of that Decahedral demon Ravana, devastatingly. On clasping Ravana with incisive claws Jataayu lacerated deeply and rampantly, as a mahout, an elephant-trainer-controller, sitting astride on it will try to control an uncontrollable elephant that is running amok with an incisive goad. Weaponed only with his claws, wings, and beak, Jataayu not only tore the back of Ravana asunder applying his beak and claws, but started to tweeze even his hair. His lips becoming intolerantly quivery when Ravana is exasperated by that king of eagles repetitiously, that demon staggered on to his right targeting the hovering eagle at his hind-side to fell it down. Ravana who is aggrieved and convulsed in fury hit back Jataayu with his palm while firmly clutching Vaidehi onto his left flank. 

Jataayu, the lord of birds, being a vanquisher of enemies outstripped Ravana and ripped off ten left-arms of Ravana with his beak, with which left arms Ravana is clutching Vaidehi, in order to release her from his clutches. 

Though his arms are mutilated thus, they instantaneously ricocheted from his body like snakes possessing a series of venomous blazes sprawling out from a snake pit. The valorous Decahedron Ravana then threw off Seetha, and out of fury he scuffled with the king of eagles with fisticuffs and kicks, by both his feet and fists. Then there chanced an encounter for some time between those two valorous ones with mutually outweighing capabilities, namely the chieftain of demons and the chief of the birds. 

Ravana brandishing his sword at Jataayu, who is revolting for the sake of Rama, hewed off both of his wings, sides, and feet. When that demon of cruel actions has ruptured his wings that colossal eagle Jataayu immediately fell down to earth with a lessened life. 

On seeing Jataayu fallen on earth and dampened with blood Vaidehi fell into a fit of weeping and ran towards him as if he is her own relative. Ravana, the monarch of Lanka, gazed at that worthily valorous Jataayu, who in his shine is like a blue-black cloud with a whitely white chest and who by now is like a quiescent fire-storm flattened onto ground. 

The cloudy blackness is simile to the black feathers of the eagle, and to the charred material by a wildfire. The whitely white colour is to the whitish feathers on the chest of the eagle, and to the white ashes overlaid on the charred material by wildfire, before they ashen. Thus, Jataayu fell down in a supine posture.

But then Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, whose face vies with moonshine hugged eagle Jataayu, whom Ravana has subjugated with his forcefulness and felled down onto the surface of earth, and she wept over incessantly. 

Seetha is hugging Jataayu. 'Is it admissible or not...' is another debatable issue. 'Because it is bird, it may be handled...' is one adjustment, while the other is, 'when Jataayu is a personified entity and a friend of Dasharatha, this bird is as good as a man. So, Seetha's touching him shall be a taboo...' The commentators deal this aspect in the next chapter of this canto.

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Jataayu - the duteous creature

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The character of Jataayu is not introduced just to give information to Rama at the time of his physical death. He is an example of self-duteous, self-dedicated, unpaid servant to his master. In Ch.14 of this Aranya canto when Jataayu firstly met Rama he says: so aham v˜sa sah˜ya× te bhaviÿy˜mi yadi icchasi | idam durgam hi k˜nt˜ram m®ga r˜kÿasa sevitam sŸt˜m ca t˜ta rakÿiÿye tvayi y˜te salakÿmaõe || "That is what I am, I will be your helpmate at your residence, should you wish so, for this forest is one that is impassable and adorned by predators and demons...oh boy, I wish to protect Seetha, if you go out of your residence with Lakshmana..." 3-14-34 And Jataayu kept up his pledge in 'helping Rama and protecting Seetha' as much as he can, without hesitation. This selfless service and sermons he rendered to Ravana are exemplary. This is called daasya bhakti 'devoutness through selfless service...' and service whether paid or unpaid is thus to be rendered selflessly - is the lesson he taught.

Secondly, birds hitting airplanes is not a recent phenomenon and it existed even before airplanes were invented, as is evident from Jataayu's hitting Ravana's aircraft. And Ravana's aircraft that is variously and amazingly portrayed by the sage-poet, is nothing before a bird. Hence, Ravana should have used some other latest state of art technology to prevent such bird-hits. This is to say, any artificial paraphernalia is nothing before a living organism, and Hanuma, a mere monkey, taking lessons from Jataayu, a mere eagle, reduces even the artificially devised Lanka to ashes.

Thus, this is the 51st chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 52

 

Seetha is abducted by Ravana. When they are on their way to Lanka the whole nature along with its inhabitants laments for the atrocious abduction of Seetha. In here, almost every verse is elaborated, for they contain poetic niceties, and hence more stuffing in introduction is unbefitting.

 

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Seetha whose visage is like a full moon wept on gazing the king of eagles Jataayu whom Ravana nearly killed. 

There occurs another verse before this one in Eastern recension which says that Ravana has firstly seen Jataayu who is spinning on earth to breath his last: tam alpa jŸvitam g®dhram sphurantam r˜kÿa adipa | dadarþa bh¨mau patitam samipe r˜ghava ˜þram˜t || thereby giving some time to Seetha to recollect what has happened.

"Humans definitely perceive either agony or ecstasy by its concomitant happenings, or by the characteristics of uncommon reflexes of their own body parts, or by the presages, or by conjecturable concomitants, or by cognising calls of birds. 

Vividly: Seetha's plaint is like this: 'Oh, Rama, we humans do perceive good or bad happenings by the presages, like concomitant happenings of some hindrances when a deed is attempted, like unforeseen tidings like sneezing, a minor accident or a misfire, or unable to catch a sight of one's own face in a mirror... or by the undue reflexes of bodily parts, like flutter of eyelids or shudder of shoulders or arms... or by the callings of birds and movements of animals... so, by now your left shoulder and left eye should have shuddered, or some crows might have cawed uglily, or some birds might have gone from your right to left, except garuDa, bharadwaja birds, and by these forebodings why do not you cognise that something is happening to me and thus why not come to my rescue?'

"Oh, Rama, for sure you are not able to know about big catastrophe called my kidnap is chancing on you, even though oh, Kakutstha, these animals and birds are running towards you surely for my sake, to tell about me. 

bhaava/import: 'Oh, Rama you may not be able to perceive the prognostications as you are in a fit of hunting that Golden Deer, but, for a while keep that hunting at bay and give an ear to these birds and animals that are rushing towards you to convey the news of my kidnap... and for god's sake do not kill these animals, presuming that they are pestering you...

"Oh, Rama, this sky flier Jataayu who mercifully came here to save me is verily mangled on his encountering Ravana, and he is sprawling on earth, indeed by my ill luck." Thus Seetha wailed. 

bhaava/import: 'My ill luck is so preponderant, in that it has demolished this Jataayu, who by himself is a pious and merited being who came to help the helpless one like me... but my ill luck pervaded over such an impeccable being also... otherwise Jataayu would have vanquished Ravana... thus, when an immeasurable ill luck is holding sway, it is for you, and you alone, oh, Rama, to come for my rescue...'

That best lady who is very highly panicked bawled noisily, "oh, Rama of Kakutstha... oh, Lakshmana... liberate me now..." as though the addressees are before her. 

bhaava/import: A subject's bawling in the audience of a king is different from that of a cry of a subject in a moor. Here Seetha is visualising those two Kakutstha-s, Rama, and Lakshmana, right in her front, in a halo, and suppliantly bawling, as though asking them to come out that halo to help her out. Her bawling is not in a clamorous tone but it is a roshantiim madhura svaraam 'crying with mellowly voice...' as detailed at verse 42 below, for there should be difference between the braying of an ass and parroting of a parrot.

That sovereign of demons, Ravana, rushed towards Vaidehi whose garlands and jewellery are muddled up and who is bawling like an orphanized one. 

Ravana, the lord of demons, has repeatedly and harshly taunted Seetha saying, 'leave it off, leave it off...' when Seetha devoid of Rama in that timberland is clinging and muffling a sturdy tree like a climber plant, and bawling, 'Rama, Rama,' and that demon whose shine is similar to the Death has clutched her hair loosened from her bun, as death loomed large on him. 

bhaava/import: Here the word vane 'in timberland...' is actually 'loneliness...' plus, 'minus Rama...' and her crying is araNya rodana 'a cry in wilderness...' And from the viewpoint of Ravana, she is uttering a wild cry indicating that 'the giant tree called Ravana is going to fall...' as with the woodcutters' yelling 'timber... timber...' as a warning cry that a tree is about to fall, when the word 'timber' is used esp. as intransitive. This catching a chaste woman by her hair is the worst possible crime and sin as explained at 3-50-13 of this chapter. And now all the gods feel satisfied for the commencement of the process for elimination of vice on earth, called Ravana, though pitying Seetha.

Here, the 'capturing Seetha by her shadow' as explained by Maheshvara Tiirtha, is an untouched subject. If she can be captured by shadow while she is in her senses and agitating and clinging a sturdy tree, as with Simhika-Hanuma in Sundara Kanda, Ravana should not have given her this much time to her to bemoan, but should have captured by her shadow without leaving her to pay a visit to dying Jataayu. Hence, this capture is viewed on a human plane, rather than a conjuror's trick.

While Vaidehi is insulted thus, entire world together with its mobile or sessile beings became chaotic, and there chanced a blanketing of a blinding blackness, and waft-less is the Wind and shine-less is the Sun. 

This 'blackness' is a poetic gloominess of the mood, rather than a material or mythical, or superimposing darkness. Sun is gloomy, wind is gloomy, and the entire nature is in oblivion of sadness.

On seeing Seetha's appropriation by an inappropriate being with His clairvoyant eyes, the illustrious Grandparent of Universe Brahma declared, "the deed is done..." but all of the supreme sages in Brahma's abode on seeing Seetha in such a condition became despondent, and yet delighted in foreseeing results. 

Usually this expression parama R^iSaya 'quintessential sages...' is linked with the words danDakaraNya in next verse and said that 'the sages dwelling in Dandaka forest are delighted and yet, despondent...' If some elderly sages were available in the vicinity, they would have waited until the arrival of Rama and would have informed Rama of Seetha's abduction, though they may not be able to combat Ravana or hurl a curse at Ravana. But Ravana is no fool to abduct Seetha while a bystander stands over looking on the spectacle. Hence, these sages said here are those that are available in the academy of Brahma. And the danDaraNya vaasinaH in the next foot are the voiceless and incommunicable beings in Dandaka forest.

On seeing Seetha's appropriation by an impropriate being, the dwellers in Dandaka forest cognised that Ravana's annihilation has chanced coincidentally. 

Again a poetic 'thinking' that even speechless beings can presage and prognosticate. Though they may not tell us directly, their body language and odd behaviour will certainly tell. The behaviour of animals and birds before an earthquake or a storm or any natural devastation is not an unknown phenomena. After all, a frog crocks before a rain.

Ravana, the lord of demons, on wresting Seetha who is bawling, "Rama... Rama..." also thus as, "Lakshmana..." took flight skyward. That princess Seetha scintillated like the oblique flashes of lightning in a cloud, owing to her golden coloured body which is muffled up with jewellery of pure gold, and added with a golden coloured ocherish silky dress, while traversing in the sky. 

dhvani/innuendo: A lightening in a cloud does not last for a long period. So also, for being with this cloudlike Ravana, these flashes of lightning, called Seetha, will not last long, albeit those flashes alone will electrocute that cloud, called Ravana.

When her ochreish silk sari's upper fringe is upheaved by air onto to Ravana, Ravana looked blazing like a mountain set ablaze, muchly and overly. 

dhvani/innuendo: If some parts of a mountain are afire it is no problem since it is usual. But when the mountain itself is overly and muchly aflame, it is impracticable for any to prevent it or help it out. The upper cloth of Seetha's sari is goldenly silky and thus it will have a tinge of reddish brown hue, like the outer edge of the tongue of fire. That fringe pallu is upheaved, [intr.] rise and fall rhythmically or spasmodically, by air and it is flagging off the annihilation of Ravana, by its flag-like motions on his face. Thus, Ravana who is standing like a mountain as of now is destined soon to become a mountain with a self-ruinous fire, overly and muchly.

Reddish and scented lotus-petals adorning that highly auspicious Seetha have slithered, but again upheaved by air they are bestrewn on Ravana. 

dhvani/innuendo: The reddish lotus petals which hitherto are on her body, as garlands and on her braid as a chaplet, are crumpled and loosened in the tussle and thus each petal is falling each time. Instead of falling onto earth, they are upheaved and sprinkled on Ravana's body by the fast wind under the feet of Ravana, somewhat like a floral welcome. This is in one way a good omen to Ravana to get a release from his accursed state, while on the other, it suggests that his opulence is soon destined to wither away like a withered petal of lotus. The last foot is taken, which obtains in other mms, leaving off the middle foot, that also says the same.

Upper fringe of Seetha's silk sari with golden glitter is upheaved in the sky, and with the reddish hue of sun in red heat of midday it beamed forth like a reddish cloud. 

bhaava/import: A reddish cloud is acceptable either in morning or in evening but not in midday since it is a bad omen.

As with a stalk-less lotus the immaculate visage of Seetha is unbright in the sky when she is on the flank of Ravana as Rama is not in vicinage. 

bhaava/import: A lotus without a stalk looses its glamour as well as its infrastructure. As sun brightens the face of moon, Rama brightens Seetha's visage. As moon depends on sun, Seetha depends on Rama, and devoid of him, she is lost to the world for a glimpse.

Her lotus pistil like un-pimply face is adorned with a pretty forehead on which prettyish curls are fluttering, and with teeth that are spick and span and sparkling, but tears dabbed on that face to sideways when she wept, yet it is pleasant like moon for a sight with shapely nose, pretty eyes, roseate lips, and shining with golden hue in sky. Nevertheless, when she has gone in the flank of Ravana on the sky such an immaculate face of Seetha turned like a palish moon that has just risen bursting a bluish cloud. 

Highly disconcerted by the king of demons that auspicious face of Seetha is unbright like the moon arisen in daytime with somewhat golden hue, owing to the absence of Rama. 

bhaava/import: One moon is enough. If there were to be two moons, it is indicative of some havoc. Now, a silvern moon is there and this lady with her golden-moon face may supersede that silvern moon and thus may cause havocs. Moon coming out when sun is still on sky will be somewhat golden in hue. She is un-brightened because Rama is not at her side as of now, but like a diamond that is coexistent with coal, Seetha is now with this coal-like Ravana.

She that golden coloured Maithili who is moored by the blackish-bodied sovereign of demons shone forth like a sapphirine gemstone studded in a golden cincture.

Or

She that golden coloured Maithili who is moored by the blackish-bodied sovereign of demons shone forth like a golden cincture girded to an elephant. 

The gemstone sapphire, more precisely indra niila maNi, shines brilliantly when studded in silver ornaments, rather than in golden ones. Gold is no match to that blue stone. So also, Seetha's shine is dullish. This is vyatireka ukti alankaara 'a litotes...' The mms of Govindaraja says shushubhe kaa.ncanii kaa.ncii niilam maNim iva aashritaa 'shone like a sapphire with gold...' while Maheshvara Tiirtha puts it as gajam iva aashritaa 'a golden cincture like elephant's girdle, where Ravana is the elephant and golden cincture is Seetha...' Though this text of Tiirtha is found more emphatic, but the blemish of reiteration occurs to the epic, because another verse, namely 30 below, contains similar 'elephant-golden-cincture' expression gajam kakshyaa iva kaa.ncanii Then, in the text of Maheshvara Tiirtha this verse 30 is pushed to a farther place that is at 30. 'Then unblemished it is, insofar as proximate reiteration is concerned...' it is said so.

Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, with a complexion that is goldenly yellowish in the tinge of a lotus, moreover with her ornaments of purified gold, flashed like a lightning possessed in a dark-cloud, when that stonehearted Ravana possessed her. 

dhvani/innuendo: A lightning seeks no mercy. Though Seetha is overlain on the shoulder of that ghana saara hR^idaya 'stonehearted...' Ravana, she does not seek for his mercy to leave her off, as lightning overlain on a cloud does not seek the mercy of a ghanaa ghanaH 'a darkly massive cloud...' The nearness or the proximity of a lightning and cloud is short-lived, so is this proximity of Seetha with Ravana. And the lightning will brighten a darkish cloud, but the darkish cloud cannot darken that silvery lightning.

With the rustles of Vaidehi's jewellery that lord of demons shone forth like a shipshape blue-black cloud with rumbles and undulating lightning. 

dhvani/innuendo: A massive darkish cloud may rumble, roar or blare, but its bursting will be scanty and short. So also, this Ravana may appear like a thunderous cloud as of now, but it dissipates soon.

Flowers gracing her best body on her head, in garlands on chest, and on armlets have fallen all-over the surface of earth like showers of flowers while she is being abducted. Though that flower-shower has fallen all-over, it is windswept by the speed of Ravana, and fell again on that Decahedral demon. 

All the gods have caused the flower-shower, for their mission is going to fructify by this act of siitaa apaharaNa 'Abduction of Seetha...' saying, 'Oh Goddess Lakshmi, you have graced all of us and the earth to allow yourself for abduction... thus triggered off is our mission of elimination of vice, in the shape of Ravana, on earth...' So said in kaTaka vyaakhya kaTaka's commentary. But Maheshvara Tiirtha says that 'when gods have no guts to affront Ravana or come into the sight of Ravana, wherefrom they cause a flower-shower? So, it is not gods that showered these flowers, but they are the flowers on her body fallen down by the gust caused by the speed of Ravana, but again windswept, up-heaved and fallen on the body of Ravana...' In either the case, Goddess Lakshmi has blessed Ravana with the flowers fallen from her physique onto the head of Ravana, as with the flowers slid from an idol in a temple, becoming worthy to wear on heads of devotees.

Like the garland of pristine stars that circles round the loftiest Mt. Meru, that flower-shower circled Ravana, the brother of Kubera. 

dhvani/innuendo: This whirling and twirling of flowers around Ravana is not a one time affair. It is continued by his dashing speed. When the circling flowers are lowered by gravity, they are again up-heaved by Ravana's speed and thus it is recurrent.

Slid from the left foot of Vaidehi her anklet adorned with gems fell down onto the plane of earth like an electric annulus with its sparky sparkles. 

dhvani/innuendo: This anklet has not suddenly fallen. It is whirling for sometime against the gust raised by Ravana's rush. When it is circuitously whirling, that ring's sparkles are like the sparks of electricity in a circular band. And this ringlet is a symbolic of an electric ring-like guard for the entire earth against further atrocities on earth, which is why it exhibited its electric-sparks in sky for a while and descended onto earth.

She that Vaidehi who is so delicate like reddish leaflets of trees made that blackish bodied lord of demons, Ravana, well and truly lambent, herself becoming a golden girdle girded around the elephant like Ravana.

Or

She that Vaidehi who is so delicate like reddish leaflets of trees made that blackish bodied lord of demons, Ravana, well and truly lambent, as with an elephant, with a golden girdle, stabled in an elephant-stable by a mahout, the elephant-trainer. 

bhaava/import: The first gist is the apparent and lexical in its meaning and the second one is like this: An elephant that runs amock and berserk will be controlled and brought back to normalcy by a mahout, an elephant-trainer. He will use all necessary items like ropes, chains, hurdles etc., to stop its haphazard running, and among them is a girdle rope with which he mounts that elephant with his goad to control it. Here Seetha is that golden girdle to this elephantine Ravana, with the help that rope Rama, the mahout, can control this elephant in rut, namely Ravana, and can place that pachyderm in its elephant-stable. Govindaraja.

Ravana, the brother of Kubera, on invading the sky abducted that radiant Seetha who is radiating the sky by her own radiancy like a massive meteor. 

bhaava/import: The sighting of a meteor in itself is a bad omen mahaa utpaata suucitam 'augural of a great havoc...' and this Ravana is personally handling such a causer of a great havoc. A meteor, though visible as a streak of light falling in yonder sky, becomes incandescent as a result of friction with the earth's atmosphere. As such, it is tantamount to a massive fireball. Ravana is carrying this fireball to set his home afire. Perhaps Ravana might have thought in similar way and thus kept Seetha in Ashoka gardens, instead of placing her in his golden palace, so that his golden palace will not be burnt with this torch, called Seetha. But the same torch burns that golden palace down to ashes, though not directly but indirectly through Hanuma, in Sundara Kanda, as a coincidence.

Some of her ornaments which are lustrously flamy, for they are sparkling like the sparkles of fireworks, are strewn about on the plane of earth with much clatter like the stars pelted down from the sky. A multi-string pearl pendant, a rivière, that vies with the moonshine has glissaded from the medial of her breasts, and while glissading from sky it is sheeny like River Ganga while she glissaded from skies. 

bhaava/import: The simile upama of Seetha's pearly strings of a pendant to River Ganga may be observed and the portrayal of ganga avataraNa 'Ganga's descent to earth...' may be referred in Bala Kanda. The pearls of the pendant are shining like Ganga's glistening froth and foam, the strings are her streams, and the string's wavy movement is Ganga's beautiful flexuous and curvy drift, moreover the stings are falling off medially from two mountains, called Seetha's breasts, as Ganga also rose and fell from mountainous heights.

The trees on which diverse birds are perching have been stirred up with the wind blown and up-heaved by the gust of Ravana's flight, while the swaying motion of those treetops is as though waving hands to console Seetha saying, "fear not... fear not..." 

dhvani/innuendo: When the treetops, rather whole of a tree is swaying, will not the birds abiding on it chirp and chitter? Yes! They will. Thus, the birds are twittering and trees are swaying their tops for a bon voyage. The chirrups of the birds are abhaya vaakyaaH the 'expression of good wishes to a departing traveller...' and the swaying motion of treetops are abhaya hasta abhinaya are the 'gesturing with raised and swaying hands wishing good to a departing traveller... etc. minus voicing, as with 'ta-ta, cheerio, best of luck...'. The word is 'tree' which comes out of earth and stands on earth, thus an earth-born one. Seetha is also an earth-born one and kindred of trees, i.e., nature. Nature itself is assuring Seetha to not to fear.

With wilted lotuses and scared fishes and other beings moving in water the lotus lakes are unenthusiastically sorrowing for Maithili as though Seetha is their girlfriend.

Poetically

The lakes with lotuses as their faces, and fishes as their eyes, and with the other facial adornments like the swimming, sweeping and sailing water-moving beings like tortoises, waterfowls and the like are unenthused, for a similar girlfriend of theirs, the lotus-faced, fish-eyed, lotus-modelled Seetha is beleaguered, and thus they are sorrowing for such a selfsame Maithili. 

All lions, tigers, animals and birds have then gathered in herds from all-over and ran rancorously and pursuantly shadowing the shadow of Seetha. 

dhvani/innuendo: Even the cruellest animals will be compassionate, if only humans are compassionate to them. Neither Seetha scared any animal nor any animal scared Seetha. This may be a useful verse for Animal Rights Activists.

The mountains appeared bewailing with their waterfalls as shedding tears and with their peaks as upraised arms, while Seetha is thus being abducted. 

dhvani/innuendo:A mountain cannot fly up to confront Ravana like an eagle, nor it can express its anguish like a swaying tree or a chirping bird, nor it cannot doggedly run after like lions and other animals, thus it is a 'cannot but situation' for any mountain to sit back and weep, as it is sessile. The eyes do not shed tears only in one direction. So also, the waterfalls are shed in many directions at the face-level of mountains, but not from their peaks. Then how to express their anguish bodily, to her who is up above the sky or pray the Almighty to rescue her? Hence, their raised mountaintops are their upraised arms, expressing all of their anguish, more so, with the booming weepy noise of the air coming out their caves, which in normal situations will be like the booming voicing of Sama Veda.

On seeing Vaidehi who is being abducted thus, magnificent Sun in firmament is saddened, and lowly weakened is his sunshine, palely whitened is his sun-disc, and faintly deadened is his solar constant. "When Ravana is abducting none other than the wife of Rama, then there is no probity. At such a juncture, how conscience can prevail? Unfounded are candour and compassion," thus the throngs of all beings overly regretted. Verily frightened are the fawns of deer, and their saddened faces are with tear shedding eyes with flustered looks, and they looked up and up at Seetha in sky and wept. 

dhvani/innuendo: The fawns are frightened because they have very broad and comely eyes like Seetha and someday some seducer like Ravana may also lead them astray, as collapsed is the equilibrium of conscience, candour or compassion. Hence, they are peeking out skyward repeatedly while Seetha is also looking down for Rama and Lakshmana, where the commonality is in the fawn-eyes filled with tears, both to the fawns and Seetha.

On seeing Seetha who is undergoing anguish in that way the sylvan deities physically shuddered in a worst way. She who is looking searchingly at the plane of earth for Rama or Lakshmana, and truly bawling in high-pitched but mellowly voice calling "Rama, Lakshmana", and whose hair-lengths are tousled, and whose felicitous vermilion mark on her forehead is smudged very untidily, that Decahedral demon abducted such an uncompromising husband-devout, Vaidehi, only for his self-ruination. 

She who is already detracted from her kinsfolk in Mithila or in Ayodhya, that Maithili with pretty teeth and clean-cut smile is then distanced from the only two last kinsmen, for either Raghava or Lakshmana or both are unseen by her, and thus her face is paled for she is chastened by the cumber of consternation. 

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The sense and nonsense of the 'untouchability' of woman

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There are many taboos annexed to woman saying that 'a woman is untouchable by other men...' and much discussion is also there in Ramayana. For this, the commentator of Dharmaakuutam says, that when Seetha herself said to Hanuma that touching other men is indecent in Sundara Kanda, Ch. 37, at verses 60 or so: bhartur bhaktim puraskrtya r˜m˜t anyasya v˜nara | na aham spraÿ÷um pad˜ g˜tram iccheyam v˜narottama || yadaham g˜tra samsparþam r˜vaõasya gat˜ bal˜t | anŸþ˜ kim kariÿy˜mi vin˜th˜ vivaþ˜ satŸ || the commentator questions 'how then can she embrace Jataayu, let alone touching?' and in answer he says iti han¨mantam prati para puruÿa sparþana m˜tram anucitam iti vakÿyasi | evam t˜d®þŸyam sŸt˜ para puruÿam jat˜yuÿam katham ˜liðgatavati iti cet na | duÿ÷a bh˜vena para puruÿa ˜liðganasya doÿatvo api du×kha parih˜r˜ya ˜tura buddhi sparþane doÿam a-bh˜v˜t | tatra - gautama× - strŸ prekÿaõa ˜lmbhane maithun k˜ðkÿay˜m - varjayet iti þeÿa× | atra - mitr˜kÿar˜ - prakaþeõa Ÿkÿaõam avayavaþo nir¨paõam - na y˜d®cchika darÿanam | ˜lambhanam sparÿanam | maithuna þaðk˜y˜m iti vacan˜t b˜l˜y˜m - v®ddh˜y˜m - ˜tur˜y˜m svasya ca b˜l˜de× na doÿa iti | evam s˜m˜nyatay˜ b˜la v®ddha ˜tur˜õ˜m para puruÿ˜õ˜m strŸbhi× sparþane k®to api na doÿa× || 'advances towards a woman with a libidinous look, or a voluptuous gesticulation or lustful approaches are 'immoral' but mere touching or embracing age-old people, people in anguish etc, is as good as fondling her own babies...' Again according to gautama suutraa-s 'lustful eying, or teasingly hankering after other's women is to be avoided...' Even the mitraakshara 'A treatise of Friendlily Advises' says: 'seeing voyeuristically, bodily gesticulations, habitual observations, or hankering after lustfully etc., are immoral for a man of age at any woman...' This is discussed for the act of Seetha in hugging Jataayu at last verse of previous chapter of this Aranya Kanda: punaH ca samgR^ihya ruroda 'again taken into hands, wept away...' Some publications of this Gorakhpur version has this word samgR^ihya a word of less intensity, 'taken into hands...' has a replacement parishvajya, aali.ngya the words with clear-cut action, 'embraced, hugged a dying eagle with a fatherly affection. Therefore it does not mean women are 'untouchables' in general.

From Ravana's side his curse is that, 'his head splinters into thousands of pieces if he touches other's woman...' But it is not yet splintered though he handled Seetha that roughly. Hence, that curse in its actuality is 'raping' but not mere 'touching' of body parts. Touching the 'untouchable' parts of other's women, that too without proper and full consent of that woman. As such, though he touched Seetha, carried on his flanks, took to his Lanka on his own body, he gives her time to reconcile herself, but does not make haphazard advances unilaterally. Thus, a difference between touching and fondling, grasping and caressing is established and it is no sin or taboo for any woman to do so.

Thus, this is the 52nd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 53

 

Seetha denounces Ravana's misdeed and challenges him to brave her husband in a manly combat, rather than thieving her in a mousy way. She reasons with him about his propriety in abducting other's wives, in vainglory.

 

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Maithili, the daughter of Janaka, on seeing the skyward flight of Ravana taking her along became highly frantic and remaining in highest dismay she is distraught. Seetha whose eyes turned coppery-red with tears and resentment, still outpouring tears while being abducted she piteously poured this scorn on that gory-eyed demon's chief, Ravana. 

"You knave Ravana, you are taking flight on thieving me after prowling about my loneliness, such as you are, are you not ashamed in the least for this subterfuge. You black-hearted fiend, for sure, you alone sidelined my husband in a trickish guise of Golden Deer wishful to abduct me as you are a coward. Which king of eagles battled against you to bail me out, an old friend of my father-in-law, such as he is he is also felled, indeed. 

Annex: 'You have felled an old and withered eagle after a long-drawn battle... then, how long can you battle that Raghava? Does this felling of an age-old eagle adds any feather to your crown?'

"Ah, truly what an audacious audacity is shown by you... you basely demon... by ear-shattering your great name saying that 'I am Ravana...' I am conquered in a combat - Really?

Or

"Am I conquered by you in a combat between my husband and you, wherein you on announcing your name to my husband and truly showing your audacious audacity defeated my husband, and thus triumphing over me - or what? Tell me, you mousy demon...

Or

"Unable to conquer my husband in a combat, but able to earbash your name to a lonely woman and abducting her, will this tantamount to your apparently audacious audacity? Thus, I am not really triumphed over by a lowly demon like you... 

"A woman, that too a lonely one, that too the other man's wife, that too an abduction, but not winning or wooing her... you knave, on your undertaking such a kind of deplorable deed, how unashamed are you? 

Annex: 'Will not the other males deplore you for your unmasculine female stealing, for this kind of undertaking is unobserved even in animal world?'

"A self-glorifier as you are, this highly inhuman, iniquitous, imputable deed of yours will be recounted by all men in all worlds.

Annex: 'For this is an unmanly action of yours, all the manly men wish to recount this as a fabulously fabled account, in dissent, for exemplification of their manliness and also to retroject your self-vainglory...'

"Damn with what you have said then about your might and mettle... damn with this kind of your demeanour which is lamentable to whole of your clan in this world. 

Annex: 'You were boastful of your triumphs and victories at the time of captivating me, damn with them... since there is not an iota of gallantry in thieving me, a lonely one in the thick of the forests... and this misdemeanour of yours which not only ruins you but becomes a lamentable affair to whole of your clan, while being burnt in the infernos of Raghava's arrows...'

"What can be done possibly... why because you are fleeing very speedily in this way... wait for a moment to ascertain whether you can go back in aliveness... 

Annex: 'You are fleeing as though death is haunting you... death is at your behind... wait, wait and stay... it will approach you speedily... when death nears you, let us watchfully ascertain whose is glory or whose is vainglory... between your Death similar Raghava and deadened you...'

"On your coming into the line of sight of those two princes, even if you are with whole of your military, you will be incapacitated to live on, indeed even for a moment... Anywise it will be incapable of you to endure the touch of their arrows, as with a bird that cannot endure the overly flaring up wildfire in a forest. 

Annex: 'After all, birds flee by the very touch of fiery air of forest fire even it is burning distantly... thus, where is the question of your tolerating those infernos, called my husband's arrows, shot from long, long a distance... and whereby you can stop them from hitting you, or with what you can retaliate them...'

"Oh, Ravana, positively contemplate in your soul and politely release me... and if you do not release me, indeed by the rancour of insulting me, my husband along with his brother devises your doom... 

All women, without exception, have a weapon called prathama kopam 'a preambular fury...' it is exactly not 'fury' but a sort of bewilderment and insultment meted out by their indignation. Seetha spewed out a stomachful of ire. Pausing a while, she now started to sermonise this demon with hita bodha 'moral teaching...' thinking in 'his' shoes and foreseeing 'his' annihilation. What and why does he care? And how does she bother for his well-being? These questions have their answers in mythology.

"You rogue! By which endeavour you are desirous of thieving me under duress, that endeavour of yours behoves absurd. 

Seetha's wording should have been 'for lovemaking with me...' instead of 'endeavour' but as an urbane lady, she used a + graamya pada prayoga, 'urbane' language rather than the graamya bhaaSa 'boorish wording.' Her calculated and cultured talking indicates her staunchness in her 'husband-devoutness...'

"Though I am in aliveness now, but on my going under the control of an enemy and on unseeing godlike husband of mine I am indeed unenthused to bear up my lives for a long. 

Again she may recount her list of 'suicide programs' as related to Lakshmana after this dialogue. She prefers to use whatever means to end her life, rather than to surrender to immorality. To indicate this 'character's mood' paatra aucityam of Seetha, all her opinions about 'somebody's possessing her' were listed when Lakshmana was hastened after Rama, though at the cost of Lakshmana's steadfastness in his duty.

"Definitely and completely unanticipated in your heart are either that which is worthwhile or that which is beneficial to you, as mortals undertake a quirkily behaviour at the time of their death...

Or

"At the time of their death mortals wish to enjoy noxious and non-recuperative foods, thus definitely and completely unanticipated in your heart are either nontoxic or beneficial nourishments for your well-being. 

Annex: 'Bechanced is your death-time hence you behave eccentrically and as a dying person wants to feast on with disagreeable foods, you also would like to consume a lethal poison, that is me, and on your death Yama, the Terminator, is ready to offer you a sumptuous feast with hellish edibles...'

"But which is recuperative that is unpalatable to all of the death-rattlers, and indeed, I behold you as one around whose throat the noose of Time is looped. As you are dauntless in this daunting situation as for yourself, oh, Decahedral demon, indeed it is clear that you are clearly fantasising the ill-omened golden trees all around. Oh, Ravana, you will see the ghastly River Vaitarani which will be tumultuously streaming with blood streams, also thus you will see the grisly sword-leaved-forests in hell. You will see silk-cotton trees flowered with molten gold, shrouded with lapis gemlike melting leaves, and enshrouded with sharp irony thorns in hell. 

Annex: Then Ravana may retort her by saying 'if such a condition comes, it comes after my death... but while living I will enjoy you and your company...' for this 'as on date enjoyment' of Ravana, she is repudiating him with her next statement... 'you have already quaffed off a venom, called Seetha... dwindled is your lifetime...'

This is a kind of punishment in a section called asi patra vana 'sword-leaved-forest...' in the Hell of Yama, namely naraka. The sinners are asked to hug a silk-cotton tree like wooden structure with golden leaves and sappharine flowers and irony thorns, where all these items will be sweltering the sinners besides pinching and piercing with thorns. This punishment is aimed at those who abduct, molest, or rape the other man's wife.

"Oh, unmerciful one, on doing this kind of misdeed to that noble-souled Rama you are incapable to bear up life for a long time like the one who quaffed venom. 

Then Ravana may say 'nonsense, these venoms, poisons, toxins... all these things can do nothing to me as I am immortalised, I take you off to a distant place, come what may...' for that Seetha is saying that 'the lasso of the Time is very long, but its noose is just throat sized and that noose is already noosed around your throat, called arm-length-sized arrow of Rama, already shot from his bowstring, called sting-like Seetha, as I am his and only his... as such, inescapable you are, anywhere you go...'

"You are bound by the unpreventable lasso of the Time, oh, Ravana, on going where you will get complacency from that uncompromising husband of mine? 

Ravana may say: 'is it? What is the proof of his mettle basing on which you sermonise me?' For this, her reply is in the next verse.

"By whom fourteen thousand demons are killed in war just within a minute, single-handedly without any help from his brother, how then that brave and mighty Raghava, an expert in all kinds of missiles, will not eliminate you, the stealer of his chosen wife, with his mordant arrows?" Thus Seetha poured forth her ire at Ravana. On saying this much and other exacting words, Vaidehi who has gone onto the flank of Ravana, indeed lamented lamentably as her dismay is coalesced with her distress. 

She who is highly agonised and weeping before talking, a ranter who ranted much, a resentful lady who has come of age, and a pitiable whirler in the hands of demon whose whirligig has transformed into spasmodic jerking of her body for deliverance from that sinner, and in that way that sinner stole that princess Seetha. 

Thus, this is the 53rd chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 54

 

Seetha drops her ornaments at Sugreeva and other monkeys available on a mountaintop during the course of her abduction. Ravana does not take notice of this as he is hurrying as though haunted by Rama. On crossing the southerly ocean, his jitteriness in stealing Seetha ceases and he hypocritically feels elated in gaining both Seetha and an animosity with Rama.

 

.

Vaidehi has not seen any rescuer while she is abducted, but she has seen five prominent vanara-s staying on a mountaintop. That broad-eyed and curvaceous lady with resentment Seetha, inwrapping her auspicious ornaments in the upper-fringe of her sari, dropped in the midmost of those five Vanara-s with a thinking that 'these creatures may perhaps indicate them to Rama.' 

Some say that Seetha shore her upper cloth and bundled the ornaments while some others say that whole of the upper cloth was dropped. The Indian sari worn by those women of yore was in a different fashion, where they wore sari like the present day dhoti with pleated back stuffing like men, but they also used an upper cloth enough to cover their busts. A three-piece dress is a must, either to man or a woman in Indian style. It comprises of a loincloth dhoti or sari, and a shirt-like or a jacket-like bust cover, and an upper-cloth to hang on the shoulder to men or to muffle the bust for women. So some say the whole of upper cloth of Seetha is dropped bundled with ornaments.

On his part that Decahedron Ravana has not noticed her action in whipping up her silky upper-cloth and ornaments, their bundling and stowing away at five vanara-s, owing to his own hurry. 

Ravana is in his own hurry because Rama may have heard the wailing of Seetha and thus may be chasing him, or will chase his shortly. He bothers like this until he crosses the ocean and enters his city-state Lanka. There he is absolutely secured. Until such time his 'mousy thievishness' haunts him. But Seetha is on his flank and under his arm, her trunk turned against his. Then she shortly saw the oddish Vanara-s, who look unlike ordinary monkeys, but with some presumably pro-human and non-demonic features, yet monkeyish with some regality, and then she quickly plucked off her ornaments and upcast her upper-cloth, and hastily but carefully, bundled her jewellery and downcast that bundle at them.

These ornaments are said to be one nosering, one earring, one bracelet, one biceps-let, one anklet with tinkling bells - all from her right side - because showing ornaments/items worn on left-side to husband is held improper. The anklet that has fallen from her leg on earth, in earlier chapters, is from her left leg.

Those ochreish-eyed best Vanara-s with their unwinking eyes have observed the broad-eyed Seetha, who at that time is verily wailing. 

The 'wink-less-ness' is the property of celestials, thus the vanara-s saw with wink-less eyes with their wide-eyed amazement. Here the Vanara-s are said to be bulishly impetuous beings and if so, could they not have averted or countered Ravana - will be the question. It is a regular scene for them to see this skywalker demon to carry off such goddess like ladies and they have seen many women thus carried off. But this particular one is appearing to be somewhat different, more over she is repeatedly calling for some 'Rama...' and she is wriggling in that demon's capture. They know this demon to be Ravana and they even know of the alliance of Ravana with Vali. If these handfuls of vanara-s dare Ravana, they die at the hands of Ravana instead at the hand of Vali. Hence, they remained silent spectators to save themselves. This is why Sugreeva did not indicate the way Seetha in which was abducted by 'some' demon, to Rama, in Kishkindha, when they firstly met.

The chief of demons Ravana captivating Maithili, who is still wailing, has crossed the Pampa region down underneath and advanced facing the City of Lanka. 

So far Ravana's travel is proceeding with his looking backward, sideward, and frontward, expecting any attack from anywhere, as this Dandaka or Janasthaana are his frontiers for operation but not the areas of his stronghold. And when once these areas are crossed reaching Pampa, there is no more self-confessed fear.

Ravana is jubilantly happy in stealing his own death alias Seetha, as one would carry a stingingly fanged and lethally venomous she-snake in his own lap. He bolted out in skyway up above the woodlands, waterways, pools, and mountains at the double, as with an arrow bolting from a bow. On reaching the ocean, a housing for sharks, alligators, a home of Rain-god, a never-draining deep and an ultimate course of the rivers, he hastily crossed it over. That ocean being the abode of Rain-god is highly flustered when Vaidehi is being abducted over it, and its waves became topsy-turvy and its fishes and great marine-reptiles remained shilly-shally. 

Then the siddha-s and caarana-s available in airspace averred saying, "this alone is the end of Decahedron Ravana." Ravana entered the city of Lanka transporting Seetha, while she wriggling in his flank, who appeared like the personified death of Ravana wriggling its way into his Lanka. 

On going towards the city Lanka that has well-symmetrized roadways, then he entered his own palace-chambers which is with very many doors and chambers thronging with crowds.

Or

On going towards the city Lanka that has well-symmetrized roadways, he then entered his own palace chambers in which royal servants are thronging at many doorways as that palace has very many chambers. 

Ravana placed down Seetha whose eyelashes are blackish and who is deep in bewilderment caused by whimpering, therein his palace chambers, as demon Maya once kept his lady-love, a nymphet called Hema, in a demonic Black Hole.

Or

Ravana placed down Seetha whose eyelashes are blackish and who is deep in bewilderment caused by whimpering, therein his palace chambers, as demon Maya kept his demonic power in a Black Hole.

Or

Ravana placed down Seetha whose eyelashes are blackish and who is deep in bewilderment caused by whimpering, therein his palace chambers, as demon Maya had once kept al his demonic scriptures duly usurping them from his own mentor, namely Shukracaarya, at an unknown illusory place. 

This verse has some divergences from the viewpoints of commentators. Govindaraja's text uses maayaam iva striyam while Tilaka uses mayaH maayaam iva aasuriim thereby the word 'aasurriim...' suggests that Ravana brought a maayaa siita 'an illusory Seetha...' instead of original Seetha, which original Seetha is said to have been in safe keeping of Ritual-fire until the elimination of Ravana, and comes out of the same Ritual-fire after the elimination of Ravana. A very big controversy surrounds this statement and whole of the auxiliary Ramayana-s are brought in, along with puraaNa-s, which substantiate this riddler, maayaa siita.

As it is, we do not find that much debatable aspect in Valmiki Ramayana, if the statement that 'Ravana placed Seetha in an unapproachable Black Hole like Lanka, as Maya once placed Hema in an unapproachable underground Black Hole...' is taken up. This episode of demon Maya-Hema occurs in Kishkindha, Ch. 51, which may please be referred. Then it suffices to satisfy the verbiage of aasuriim, when the analogy of 1] Lanka of Ravana and R^iksha bila, 'Black Hole' of Maya, both being the constructions of artifice, and again between 2] Maya, the demon and Ravana, the demon, [that too, the eliminable demons,] 3] nymphet Hema and nymphal Seetha, [the causative factors for elimination,] and the actual eliminators Indra and Rama, is taken into consideration.

The eyes of Seetha are said to be blackish at their ends. This is not mascara or something like a makeup article. The eyelashes are longish like those of celestials, so as to give a blackish orb around her eyeball and because she is now ceaselessly shedding tears, these eyelashes are tear-wet and slanted edge-ward to give a blackish shade at the end of her eyes.

That Decahedron Ravana also instructed the bogey-sightly bogeywomen, "your watch and ward shall be in such a way that neither a female nor a male can see Seetha impermissibly. Whatever she wishes to have, gold, jewels, pearls, apparels or adornments, they all be given to her as you would give me according to my whimsies. Whosoever speaks unpleasant words to Vaidehi in the least, either unknowingly or knowingly, her life becomes unpleasant for herself." Thus Ravana ordered the chamber-demonesses. 

On speaking to those demonesses thus that chief of demons exited from that palace chamber, and giving a thought to what is to be done in sequel, then he gave audience to eight highly vigorous demons, the feasters on raw-flesh. He who is egocentric by the boon awarded by Brahma for his invincibleness, that Ravana on giving an audience to those eight demons spoke this sentence to them praiseful of their might and valour. 

"You immediately take up multiple assaultive weaponry and begone from here to Janasthaana speedily, a place now deadpanned for demons, which earlier was the placement of Khara. Throwaway your fright faraway and you stay in that Janasthaana which fell void as the demons are voided by someone called Rama, and there you shall stay self-assuredly and self-confidently. 

Then those eight demons may as, 'when these many leading warriors and commanders are there why we eight are picked and chosen?' for this Ravana is saying 'you eight are self-assured and self-confident and can to mete out any assault on our race...' and again they may hesitate as to 'why we should depend on our own personal strengths...' for that Ravana is saying 'a still mightier Dushana, still mightiest Khara are eliminated... thus you perk up your sprites, personally...'

"Though highly forceful forces are deployed in Janasthaana, Rama's arrows have utterly destroyed them, together with Khara and Duushana. 

Expecting another enquiry from them as, 'when such mighty, mightier, and mightiest demons are dead at the hand of a lonely Rama, do you wish us also die in the same way?' and to them Ravana is saying 'you are the next best in line of order of military, hence it is your turn to assume command, as committed soldiers, as I am at loggerheads with Rama...' Ravana follows such 'order of priorities' in warring scrupulously and we chance to meet them in Yuddha Kanda, canto of Great War.

"Thereby an unprecedented fury is escalating over and above my courage, and an unhindered and unforgivable animosity towards that Rama is evoked in me. 

Then the eight commandant demons may say 'what if, let all of us wage a war and end him up...' for that Ravana is saying suggestively that 'my fury is hovering over my courage... thus fury alone is scaling up, while courage is scaling down... as I came to know that only one was warring against fourteen thousand demons and eliminated all... thus we cannot wage large scale war overtly when our courage is lessening... but we can covertly do some kind of harm... hence, you go there and undertake any kind of activity that will be harmful to that Rama... as I am uncourageous and uncomfortable, as of now...'

"I wish to cast out my begrudging against my enemy who bears a grudge against me, and indeed, to me 'sleep' is not the word for it, until my enemy is undone in a war. 

By an enforced enmity one's own sleep vanishes as he will always be wakeful of his enemy, for he who has purchased enmity is a weakling and worthless to confront... vidura niiti: Maha Bharata, Udyoga parve: anena balavad virodhino nidr˜ na bhaviÿyati iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca udyoge vidura× - ayuktam balavat˜ durbalam hŸna s˜dhanam | h®ta svam k˜minam coram ˜viþanti pra j˜gar˜× || - dk

"I for myself will be comfortable only on eliminating him who has eliminated Khara and Duushana as with a pauper acquiring riches. While you remain in Janasthaana you have to accurately bring me the information about Rama's activities and deportment. Do not go heedlessly, you all night-walkers, for that Rama appears to be too dangerous, and on your going there heedfully, you have to continually try for the elimination of that Raghava. 

"I am aware of your might in battle fronts for a number of times, as such I have commissioned you all in that Janasthaana." Thus Ravana spoke to those eight demons. 

Then on picking up those words amiable to all intents and purposes of Ravana, those eight demons departed from Lanka on hailing Ravana, and they collectively journeyed in the direction of Janasthaana with their imperceivable appearances. 

Ravana is then highly gladdened well and truly on gaining over Seetha, and even for holding sway over that Maithili, and equally for the well-wrought and archly animosity with Rama, whereby that demon Ravana is hypocritically amused. 

The wording in this verse mohaat mudiataH sa raakshasaH together with the word hR^iSTaH raavaNaH at verse 6, is discussed by commentators stating that he is self-conceitedly and hypocritically lost in his own hallucinations of possessing Seetha. Tilaka commentary says that bringing Seetha to Lanka is a villainous act but not with an iota of reverence to her, when elucidating verse 1 of next chapter where it contains: aatmaanam buddhi vaiklbyaat kR^ita kR^ityam amanyata... 'he believed in his own self that he achieved a great feat, as his brain gone astray foolishly...' But the poet also says proximately that he is amused in gaining an archenemy's animosity, i.e. that of Rama. It is therefore said that he is happy as his release from his accursed demon-hood is set to happen soon, as he achieved the abduction of Seetha, thus paved way for Rama to come to Lanka to release him from his accursed being. This is supported by the statement in verse that Ravana's words have some mahaa artham 'words with allusion, or secret message' to Rama perhaps, as at verse 29.

If Lanka is a body, it embodies pleasure seeking traits seated in manas 'pleasuring heart...' along with an 'ever witnessing soul...' called saakshi buuta aatma. Along with the release of captivated soul, called Seetha, this pleasure seeking manas 'heart' also gets released. And the releaser or the deliverer is Rama, and hence Ravana is happy.

Thus, this is the 54th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 55

 

Ravana entices Seetha to marry him by demonstrating various luxuries and comforts, and even baiting her to become his empress. The words of Ravana have some latent meanings as derived by ancient commentators and they are included here, as far as possible.

 

.

On directing those eight ghastly demons Ravana is amused in his heart of hearts that he has accomplished a great feat. Continually musing upon Vaidehi Ravana is tormented with the arrows of Love-god, thereby to lay eyes on Seetha he post-hastily entered the beautiful palace. On entering the palace-chamber that supremo of demons beheld Seetha overwhelmed with ruefulness amongst demonesses. 

She whose visage is brimming over with tears, one browbeaten and downtrodden with the burden of bewail, one capsized like a boat that is about to capsize in an ocean spreadeagled with whirlwinds, and one alike an impala altogether swerved from its herd of impala yet hemmed in with dog-wolves, that nightwalker came nigh of such a Seetha whose face is downcast unwilling to see any, and to such a pitiable Seetha who is in the shackles of her sorrow, that supremo of demons compellingly started to show his palace which is similar to any paradisiacal palace. 

Then he must have hauled her by her hand or demonesses must have dragged all along the corridors, chambers and all over, or as usual, he must have carried her on his flank to show his palace. Taking this situation and the statement at verse 1, aatmaanam buddhi vaiklavyaat Rama Tilaka negates the idea that Seetha is brought to Lanka as a much cherished Goddess Lakshmi, but her bringing is only with a villainous intent. Even then, the supporters of Ravana - the devotee - disagree. There are many such slants given to Ravana's dialogs, to portray him as a devotee, in this chapter itself.

That paradisiacal mansion house of Decahedral Ravana is congestive with innumerable cupolaed skyscrapers, adored with thousands of females, frequented by diverse bevies of birds, and it comprised of numerous gemstones. The pillars are amazingly gilded with engraving of ivory, gilt, quartz, silvern linocuts, and they are even embossed with diamonds and with lapis gems, which are heart-pleasing for a look. The drumbeats of divine drums are echoing in entire palace, and its archways are adorned with the gildings of pure gold. 

Ravana walked up the wonderful golden staircase along with Seetha, and the rows of skyscrapers with windows that are ivoried and silvered and with window-blinds are seen from the windows of the landing on that flight of stairs, which are also ivoried and silvered windows with window-blinds, and all are amusing for sight. 

Did she walk on her own or was she dragged on the flight of stairs? Yes! She had to walk up the staircase after Ravana, but defiantly and straggly.

That Decahedral Ravana displayed the multiple stories of his own palace which is all over white-marbled and diamond encrusted to Maithili. Ravana continued to display the descendible wellsprings and leisure pools from which diverse flowers have sprung and overspread them, regardless of Seetha's languishing under her anguish. 

Has she seen all these riches of Ravana? Yes! She had seen, but in disdain and scorn. Refraining and desisting from allurement is possible only on seeing the objects of lure. And yielding to such an opulent demon or his opulence, just for the sake of carnality, is beyond the scope of Seetha's thinking according to her reply to Ravana, in next chapter 'all this affluence is going to be reduced to ashes...' keeping Rama in view as the reducing agent, for Hanuma, the actual reducer of this affluence, is yet an unknown entity.

On flaunting his best palace in its entirety to Vaidehi that dirty-minded Ravana spoke this sentence to Seetha in order that she may be tempted on her own, lustily. 

"Oh, Seetha, ten crores of first-rated demons are there, furthermore, twenty-two crores of demons of ghastly exploits are there, thus all put together, three hundred twenty millions of demons are there in Lanka, omitting the weakish, oldish, youngish demons. For all of them I am the lord." Thus Ravana started his self-eulogy. For every single work of mine a thousand servitors will rush in. Such as I am I pledge entire life of mine along with the suzerainty of this sovereign city-state Lanka to you, oh, broad-eyed lady, for you are loftier than my lives. Oh, Seetha, you will become an empress for all of the those countless females of finest fabric amassed by me, oh, dear, if only you marry me. 

dhvani/innuendo: Ravana the devotee is saying: 'oh, Seetha... you become my empress and lord over me and all of my wives that are amassed by me... for, You are the most adorable Goddess Lakshmi, and now though appearing in a gross form of Seetha, you are the real Subtlety, Goddess Lakshmi... bhaaryaa; bhaa= cidruupiNii= oh, Subtlety; aaryaa = oh, adorable one; a+bhava = oh, Redeemer; priye = most adorable Goddess Lakshmi.'

"You be keen on my amiable words and it will be apt of you to show compassion on me, for I have burning desire for you, and of what use is your thinking conversely about that long-lost Rama? 

dhvani/innuendo: The word kaama is ellipted here as it appears in other mms. Then it is said ' kaama 'desirous... I have the burning desire of regaining my servitude at your door...' thus maam bhajasva 'me, you accept accordingly...'

"It is impossible to assail this Lanka even for Indra with all of the gods and demons, as an ocean roundly enshrouds this Lanka which is hundred-yojana-s witdthwise. I behold none matchable to my vitality is existent among gods; among yaksha-s - no; among gandharva-s - no; among sages - no, nor anyone in any world. What can you achieve with that dethroned, hapless, seer, vagrant Rama who is short-lived, for after all, he is a human with littlest vitality? 

dhvani/innuendo: Ravana, the devotee is saying: 'Why this wasteful lamenting about an un-lamentable entity, called Rama, for he is raajya bhraSTa yena 'by whom enemies are dethroned...' raajyaat bhrSTaa ripavo yasmaat tena and take this as one word diinenataapasenagataayuSaa by which I mean... diina ina taapasa ina gata aayuSaa where ina means 'lord...' thus a lord of hapless, a lord for seers, and maanuSeNa gataayuSaa whereby 'for a man who gained longevity...' that is ekaa dasha sahasra samvatsara parimita aayuSa yena gataH - praaptaH, saH 'one who has achieved eleven thousands years of age in human incarnation...' in which he has to lord over and save the saints, sages, seers and such hapless lot...' and alpa tejasaa by which I mean alpam itareSaam teejo yasmaat tena 'by whom others' resplendency is dwindled and lessened, just by his own resplendence... about such raameNa kim? Why you bother about such Rama, since he is parama puruSa the Supreme Person?

"Oh, Seetha, you apotheosise me only for I am your seemliest husband, oh, jumpy lady, indeed, primeness has impermanence, thus here you be blithesome with me. 

dhvani/innuendo: Ravana, the devotee is saying, me yauvanam 'my lifespan...' where the word yauvana indicates total lifespan from childhood, to young age, to old age... 'Thereby the total lifespan of mine is a + dhruvam 'impermanent...' life itself is impermanent... and with elliptic yataH 'whereby...' aham tava sadR^ishaH 'I am your seemliest... bhartaa; bibharti shushruuSa aadinaa svaaminam iti bharta= sevakaH 'a servant...' and with elliptic ataH 'thereby...' maa bhajava 'me alone, you deify, as un-godly beings cannot be in the service of Goddess Lakshmi... take me as your servant...' maameva= maa ava 'me, deliver... accord deliverance...' for that you stay here in Lanka maya saha which cleaves like maa= lakshmi, raajya lakshmi 'with Fortune of Kingdom...' saha 'along with...' ramasva 'you grace us...'

'Whereby my lifespan is impermanent to adore you, thereby you deify me from this accursed being to be in your service constantly... for which I am the seemliest servant of yours... for that you stay in Lanka and grace me and this Fortune of Kingdom, till the arrival of Rama, and then accord deliverance through Rama...

"Oh, beautifully visaged lady, it is needless to have half a mind to see that Raghava, oh, Seetha, even if his wits chariot him what is his calibre to come thither crossing an un-crossable ocean? 

dhvani/innuendo: Rama is living by his own wits and wisdom to come to Lanka, and his chariot called heart, is ambitiously steered by that chariot's horses, called the five senses of Rama, towards Lanka alone all through this incarnation. And bechanced is that time and opportunity, thus he has to come here, hence oh, Seetha, you needn't worry...

"It is impossible to knot the currents of cyclonic gusts in mid air, more so, it is impracticable to lay hold on the tongues of radiately irradiant fire. Oh, benefactress of bliss, he who can lead you back with his valour, while you are being fended off by my mighty arms, him I do not envisage even in any one world of this threefold world. 

dhvani/innuendo: 'Who can manaH rathaiH api wishfully iha aagantum enter this Lanka, and if tried, he becomes a straw in the gale or char in flame... hence tam na pashyaami I don't foresee anyone else... raamam vinaa, iti seSaH 'excepting Rama...' ellipted. Thus, Rama is scheduled to come here as we have our own dealings, hence maa kR^ithaaH buddhim darshane raamasya don't get perturbed at mind in not seeing Rama... he comes soon...'

"You rule over this very great empire of Lanka as an empress of Lanka, while me and mine, also thus all gods like me who hitherto are under my rule, and all mobile and sessile entities of whom I am the ruler, they too will hereafter make ourselves useful as your royal stewards, if you marry me. 

From now on Ravana is dedicating whatever he has or acquired to his benefactress, Goddess Lakshmi. By saying madvidhaa 'me-like...' it is aatma samarpaNa self-dedication...' lankaayaam raajyam anu paalaya 'from Lanka you rule over...' this is aatmiiya samarpaNa 'selfless dedication...'

"Wet with the waters of anointment you be elated and then delight me. By your damnable dwelling in forests bygone is your bad-luck that you misdealt in bygone times. And what dutiable good deed is to be done by you in marrying me, you do that now, and secure the fruits of that good deed here by marrying me. 

dhvani/innuendo: 'A damnable demon living in vana vaasena where vana is to betaken as waters, 'suchlike me living in an island surrounded by oceanic waters...' mayaa, iti sheSaH ellipted 'by me...' puraa yat duSkR^itam karma - kR^itam iti sheSaH 'earlier what sinful act...' ellipted 'was done...' tat= duSkarma; tava= mama iSTa devataa darshana maatreNa - gataH 'that sin - just by the chance of seeing my choicest deity Goddess Lakshmi - it has gone...' puraa maya sukR^ito yo dharmaH 'by which good deed I have done earlier...' tasya phalam 'its good results...' te - nivedayaami 'I surrender unto you... tat aapnuhi 'that you kindly accept...'

'As a damnable and islanded demon living amidst water surrounded island, what all the evil-acts done by me are evanished just by getting a glimpse of my choicest deity Goddess Lakshmi in you, thus I am absolved of all demerits... and any merit, if remnant with me by my performing some good deeds, intentionally or unintentionally, I surrender the fruits of all those merits even, unto to you... pray accept...'

"Oh, Maithili, here all the garlands are divinely fragranced and the jewellery is topmost, you will dress up with them along with me should you become my wife. 

dhvani/innuendo: A woman is attractable by embellishments and nothing is uncommon about it. A commonplace devotee offers just a leaf, or a mere fruit, or at least water to his deity as Bhagavad Gita said: phalam, puSpam, toyam 'a fruit, a leaf or water is enough to satisfy God...' since a mountainous God cannot be appeased with mountainy offerings. But here Ravana, the devotee wants to embellish his deity with divinely garlands and topmost jewellery... maya - samarpitaani iti sheSaH 'by me...' ellipted: 'offered...' saha= ekadaiva 'at least once...' sevasva 'accept them...' 'Touch my offerings at least for once... thereby I deem that I am graced by you...'

"Oh, well-waisted lady, just by my might I notched up an aircraft known as Pushpaka from my brother Kubera in a war with him, which is similar sun in its shine. 

"That aircraft is expansive and exhilarating, also its speed is on par with intuition, oh, Seetha, in that you can cheerfully fly about along with me, should you marry me. 

dhvani/innuendo: 'That aircraft maya - samarpite - iti sheSaH when I dedicated that aircraft to you...' sa artham= sarva sampadbhiH 'with all other riches, besides this aircraft... viharasva 'you enjoy...' 'Apart from this aircraft, I denounce all the riches I gained in you... you enjoy the fruits of my action and release me...'

"Oh, lady with a comely countenance, your visage is lotus similar in its shine, besides being immaculate, fairish and eyeful, but oh, curvaceous lady, with such a mushily maudlin of such a face this palace of mine is unbright, thus marry me to brighten everything" Thus Ravana spoke to Seetha. 

While Ravana is speaking to her in this way that graceful lady Seetha veiled her moonier face with fringe of her sari, and stiflingly dispelled tears on that mooniest face behind her half-veil. To her who is disconcerted and whose anguish marred her brilliance and who is appearing as though pondering over the question of her submittal to Ravana, or otherwise, although she is meditating, to such a Seetha Ravana the nightwalker said these words. 

She allowed him to prattle whatever he wished, but when it is aimed at her face, she had to veil it customarily to conceal the flood of sobbing tears, aversely. But Ravana, being a leech of lechery, amusedly thinks that she is bashful, thus silent, and because silence is 'half-agreeing', thus he furthers his leeching.

"Oh, Vaidehi, enough is this embarrassment of yours presuming that your consorting with me is detrimental to scriptural canons, oh, empress, what that is approaching you in the form of queen-hood is absolutely compatible with the tradition.

Or

"Oh, Vaidehi, enough is this embarrassment of yours presuming that your consorting with me is detrimental to scriptural canons, what that is approaching you in the mode of queen-hood is ordained by gods and it is absolutely traditional. 

dhvani/innuendo: 'Enough is this embarrassment alam vriidena in the matter of 'served and servant..' ayam daiva niSSyandaH for this is preordained by gods... aarSaH 'age old, traditional, and perennial...' tvaam abhigamiSyati 'the same 'served and servant relation' is now approaching you... in this incarnation and nothing new about it, for this is preordained by gods, age old, perennial, and traditional, thus enough with your embarrassment... and accept me as your devotee...' Maheshvara Tiirtha.

Much is commented on this verse and this verse itself is held controversial as the meaning for niSyandaH as 'connection...' is said to be ill defined. Further, some versions use differently as shown above. It is said that yet another ancient mms of Ramayana contains the same verse as: alam vrŸýena vaidehi dharma t˜pa k®tena ca | harÿo ayam devi vispaÿ÷o ya× tv˜m upagamiÿyati || where the first foot is almost the same and the second foot: harSo ayam devi vispaSTo yaH tvaam upagamiSyati which means devi oh, lady yaH harSaH which pleasure you are going to get with your queen-hood tvaam upagamiSyati to you approaching in the mode of queen-hood ayam harSaH vispaSTaH that pleasure is evident...

'Oh, Lady, which pleasure you are going to get as a queen, for that queen-hood is fast approaching you, that pleasure is evident... why then you presume that marrying me is anti-canonical, and thus be ashamed...' so said Ravana with a kind of epicurean philosophy.

A woman who marries twice is called punarbhuH and these are of three kinds. And then there is another type called svairiNi. The first category are the women who leave off their first husbands and get married to another, thus become the first punarbhuH and the svairiNi is the kind of women who will not care customs but follow their own course of alliances. para p¨rv˜× striya× tvat any˜× sapta prokt˜ svayambhuv˜ | punarbh¨× trividh˜ t˜s˜m tu svairiõŸ catur vidh˜ || naarada Then Ravana is supposed to have argued with Seetha 'you become a punarbhuH or choose whatever kind of scriptural statement about the rules of remarriages, but marry me - Govindaraja.

There is another kind of Indian marriage called raakshasa vivaaha loosely: 'demonical marriage...' i.e., abducting a girl with her consent and marrying secretly. But this way of raakshasa vivaaha 'marriage through abduction...' is admissible only to unmarried girls but not to the married women. Hence, the scriptural canons again cannot be satisfied. Therefore Ravana is said to have stated all this as an eyewash due to his tamo guNa praadhaanyata 'stupid contrivance of scripture with his stolidity of mind...' Maheshvara Tirtha

'If Ravana is stupid enough to distort scriptures how then can his - devotee-goddess relation - with Seetha can be established...' is the question of Rama Tilaka. Thus, it is concluded that Ravana's advances are only with a lecherous intent, contrary to what Maheshvara Tiirtha tried to establish Ravana as a devotee... Tilaka.

In spite of all these debates and counter-debates of commentators - Ravana remained as a devotee of Seetha, namely Goddess Lakshmi, legendarily.

"Let these two feet of yours be massaged by my ten heads, do me favour readily, for I am your subordinate and servant. I with a lustful hollow-heart spoke all these hollow words that are unbefitting to my stature, indeed, Ravana will never supplicate headlong to whosoever woman. 

Here the expression shunyaaH is held inconvenient to derive proper meaning and another ancient mms is said to have this as: na imaaH shuunyaaH kR^ithaa vaacaH shuSyamaaNena bhaaSitaaH where the wordage is shunnyamaanena emptied by lust...' imaaH vaacaH 'these words...' shuunyaaH 'empty...' na kR^ithaa 'do not make them...' 'Nullified by lust I spoke all these words... and you, on taking them as mere nullities, pray, do not nullify my lovelorn words...' Tiirtha calls this as rasaabhaasa 'desiring an undesirous woman of others, by hook or by crook.

That Decahedral Ravana on speaking thus to Maithili, who is the daughter of Janaka, deemed that 'she is mine,' as he has gone under the sway of the Terminator. 

Thus, this is the 55th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 56

 

Seetha reprimands Ravana in saying that her unswerving devotion to Rama will not permit her to be dominated by anyone. She gives word-by-word replies to all that is prattled by Ravana in earlier chapter. A discussion about Seetha's stance and stability is given in the endnote of this chapter.

 

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She that Vaidehi who is haggard by anguish boldly spoke to Ravana when he addressed her in that way, duly placing a blade of straw in between herself and Ravana.

The place of conversation is a speckles palace and then where from a blade of straw is available to Seetha to place in between them - is the question. It is adjusted by saying that a straw blade stuck to her sari, which she removed and placed in between. Has she searched whole of sari, inch by inch, for a blade of straw that too to talk to a debased character - is its counter-question. Anyway she treated Ravana just as a worthless straw - is another viewpoint. Either way, 'husband-devout' wives do not chat with 'the other' males without making an improvised screen in between, may it be a half-veil, a door, or any other item that prevent the vilely ogles of others.

She is also said to be talking 'boldly...' where this boldness is the derivative of her self-assured 'husband-devoutness.' When this boldness is there why she is emaciated through sadness - is the collateral question. For this, it is said that her wailing is not for herself, but for her separation from Rama, coupled with her thinking about Rama's miseries in forest, besides, due to the ambiguity about Lakshmana's meeting with Rama or otherwise.

Tilaka says, 'Seetha is aware of the curse of Ravana that his heads get splintered into pieces if he makes advances to any female without her consent, hence Seetha is talking fearlessly. And if Ravana tries to make any further advances, Seetha is ready to disappear, as is the practice with gods, or to become an untouchable entity, like a hologram...' But this is negated, taking Seetha as a human level entity rather than an incarnation, saying that 'human Seetha is unaware of Ravana himself, thus her becoming aware of his curse is untenable...' Maybe, Goddess Lakshmi or Maya Seetha is aware of that curse of Ravana.

"He whose son is Raghava, is a resolute king known as Dasharatha. That king is a kingly rampart for righteousness, a kingpin abiding in forthrightness and thereby his kingliness is well renowned in all worlds, and my husband Rama is such a king's son. 

The word used setu also means a 'bridge' apart from a rampart. Thus Dasharatha is not only a rampart 'a defensive wall with a broad top and usu. a stone parapet...' for the defence of dharma from its mismanagement, but he is also the bridge between a dharma and dharma. Thus this bridge called Dasharatha enables anyone to crossover it towards dharma. That bridge called Dasharatha allowed Rama to cross and to reach forests for the annihilation of demons.

Therefore, Seetha is saying 'being such a righteous king's daughter-in-law, I cannot bring blemish to my in-laws, or to their dynasty in surrendering to you... furthermore, my husband is the one from such a dynasty who never tolerates unrighteousness...'

And by taking the name of Dasharatha, where dasha ratha 'ten way charioteer, or charioteer of ten chariots...' she is explaining 'my father-in-law chariots his one chariot in ten ways, whereas you can steer only one in one way, called lust... my father-in-law chariots ten chariots in a single instance, whereas you can handle only one, at any given time besides being dependent on the capability of auto-propelling Pushpaka aircraft, rather than on your own steersman's capability...

"Such a Dasharatha's son who is virtue-souled one, who is highly renowned in all the three worlds for his ambidexterity and perspicacity, and who is known as Rama is my husband and a god to me.

Annex: 'And he is named as Rama because he causes rejoice in one and all, thus he is well renowned in all worlds, unlike you who are named as Ravana, meaning that 'the one who makes one and all rueful...' thus you are also well renowned in the worlds, but by your notoriety. On the other hand Rama is virtue-souled, unlike you a virtueless, meritless and lawless knave... and his ambidexterity contrasts with your guile-handedness, while his perceptiveness with your purblindness of the proximate problem of yours... such a husband's wife as I am, how do you think that I on my own get estranged from such a godlike husband of mine, unrighteously...

"He who took birth in Ikshvaku's dynasty is a great-resplendent one with his shoulders like those of a lion, and who comes here along with similarly lion-shouldered and nearly great-resplendent brother of his, namely Lakshmana, to take your lives away. Such Rama is my husband. 

Annex: Ravana asked Seetha at 3-55-21 'what can you achieve with that dethroned, hapless, seer, vagrant Rama and who is short-lived, for after all, he is a human with littlest vitality?' Thus belittling Rama's possessions in the shape of palaces, riches and kingdoms. For that Seetha is now saying that Rama does not possess anything, but the whole world is possessed of him. saha lakshmaNa= sa ha lakshmaNa ; cihnaa naamno saha lakshmii ke saumitrau saa rasa striyaam 'Supreme Person's possession is the eternal opulence of the Universe...' para brahma mantraNayo 'one achievable by constant meditation upon Him alone...' To such Rama now adjoined is Lakshmana, the personified prosperity. As such, that Supreme Splendour has taken incarnation as Rama because of the curse of Anaranya. Thus, Seetha took the name of Ikshvaku dynasty.

The curse of Anaranya: Anaranya is the ancestor of Rama in Ikshvaku dynasty. His son is Haryashva, a grandparent of Rama. When Ravana subjugated Anaranya, dying Anaranya curses Ravana to die at the hands of his great-grandson Rama in later generations.

'Such Ikshvaku will now come along with prosperous Lakshmana not only to belittle your opulence of falsity, but also to terminate such a vainglorious mischief... thus foxlike creatures like you cannot dare a lion, for he is lion-shouldered... and because you foxed Rama you are still alive, otherwise...' - continuation with next verse.

"Had I been forcibly humiliated by you in the presence of Rama, you too would have been killed by Rama in combat and by now you too would be sprawling on earth, as with Khara in Janasthaana, but you foxed him. However, such Rama is my husband. 

Those demons who are spoken of you to be with ghastly forms and gruelling power, they all will become formless and powerless in face of Raghava, as with all snakes becoming non-poisonous earthworms in the face of Garuda, the Divine Eagle. Such Rama is my husband. 

Annex: 'You said that you have millions and millions of ghastly demons... but where are they, in the backyard of your house and behind your back? None has surfaced so far to confront my husband, for they are nothing but your kitchenware... and thus you are a gehe shuuraH 'a champion in your own home... a paper tiger...' boastful of your paper-thin-tigerish-ness before me, a solitary woman... thus you and your forces will be rendered ineffectual the minute you confront my husband...'

"Those gilded arrows of Rama unloosened directly and unswervingly from his bowstring will utterly batter your body, as the waves of River Ganga will be battering that river's riverbanks. Such Rama is my husband. 

Annex: 'What if Rama is dethroned or enthroned? He is not a 'hapless' person as observed by you, but he solitarily depends upon his self-confidence and a pair of skilful arms

"Even if you are unkillable either by gods or by demons, you Ravana, you will not be disenthralled by Rama while you are alive, for you hatched a very great animosity in him against you. 

Annex: 'Maybe god or demons or others, other than humans, cannot kill you... why the humans were slighted by you as your killing agents at the time of your seeking boons from Brahma, or at least at the time of my abduction why humans are disregarded... hence, that heedlessness alone becomes the very cause for your self-ruination...'

"That mighty Rama will become the terminator of the vestige of your life, and as with an animal fastened to the stake of sacrifice your life too will become irretrievable. 

Annex: 'Even the beasts like cattle and goats when herded towards a slaughterhouse they will be apprehensively fearsome and walk closely and snugly, for they know not what will become of them... and for your part, your intellect is far too low than that of a beastie bovine... and you say vaingloriously that everything in every world fears you... firstly you fear for yourself as an animal tied to a stake...

'Rama's life itself is yaj~na 'a sacrificial ritual...' his actions are ritualistic performances... in which he sacrifices a dharma for the sake of dharma even by sacrificing his own comforts... and you said of him as a 'vagrant...' yes, his yaj~na is to be performed not by sitting in some hall of ritual, but meandering vagrantly... because entire earth is his hall of ritual... and now, you as a sacrificial beast are fastened to the stake of sacrifice by a rope called Seetha, and you be ready awaiting for your slaughter in that raama yaj~na

"If he that Rama glances you with his rancour-torched eyes, you demon, you will be completely burnt down now itself, as with Love-god burnt down by Furious Shiva. 

Annex: 'exacting eroticism is an inexcusable impasse... did you not learn this lesson from the legend of your iSTa daiva 'most cherished god...' God Shiva, who burnt down the Love-god... and if there is any thinly separated state between love and lust, how then will you be unburnt by the furious glances of Rama for your lustfulness...

"He that Rama who hurls down the moon from skies onto earth, or else extirpates it if need be, or even desiccates an ocean, he alone rescues Seetha from here. 

Annex: 'You need not sit back gleefully thinking that none can cross over an ocean and come thither, presuming that 'a hundred-yojana ocean roundly enshrouds this Lanka...' Rama can dehydrate any ocean of any size in its entirety... thus he just walk on its sands in commissioning his mission...

"Gone is your liveability, gone is your prosperity, gone is your vivacity, and gone is your faculty. Thus Lanka is widowed by a single deed of yours. 

Annex: 'as such, you yourself cannot be on the throne of Lanka since her widowhood is admonished by your single act of touching 'other man's wife' that is me, and in abducting me... wherewith you daydream and daresay to me 'you rule over this very great empire of Lanka as empress of Lanka...'

"In forest you have separated me from the propinquity of my husband, which diabolic deed of yours will not result in any ultimate happiness for you. 

Annex: you said to me, 'of what use is your thinking conversely about that long-lost Rama...' what else am I to do, for I am diabolically dragged away from him by you, as such I am, I am now contemplating upon that Rama alone to come here to handover 'a fruit of unhappiness' to you as a barter for my release...'

"In fact, that great-resplendent husband of mine, Rama, is still residing in the eremitical Dandaka forest, bravely hinging on to his own valour, in tandem only with my brother-in-law. 

Annex: 'you said that you do not envisage 'him who can lead me back with his valour...' but my husband is still there in Dandaka along with his brother, both in tandem only with God Almighty, whose biting bravery and venomous valour are yet to be tasted by you... and if you too are brave enough, confront him to know whether I am winnable or otherwise...'

"With storms of his arrows in a given combat my husband will dislodge arrogance, insolence, puissance, like that impudence from every limb of yours. 

Annex: 'for yours is only bodily might as you have said 'I behold none matchable to my vitality...' and no spiritual or ethical, or whatsoever merits abide in you... thus, should you confront an ethical and scrupulous combatant, evanished are your bodily vanities...'

"As and when ruination of created beings manifests actuated by Time, then all of them will place their behaviour in endangerment, as they have gone under the control of End-Time. 

Annex: 'you said to me that 'by your damnable dwelling in forests, bygone is your bad-luck which you misdealt in bygone times...' and I agree for that assertion of yours as my damnable bad-luck is nearing its completion, but your damnable, ill-lucky, self-ruinous time as started, and hence you are placing your behaviour in endangerment, by this quirkish act of abducting me...'

"This is that time which has bechanced on you owing to your molesting me, you basely demon, by which time-factor yourself, all of your demons, and even all of your queens in the Chambers of Queens will be devastated. 

Annex: You said that I will become an empress among all females you brought. I need not become an empress for the 'countless females of finest fabric you amassed...' Because all those females have yielded themselves to you, and they are going to be devastated and evanished along with their Chambers of Queens, which chambers you endowed to them as gifts. But Rama will rescue others who are still captivated yet reticent. Where is the question of my becoming an empress of dead souls?

"It is impossible for a profaner to heavily tread on the Altar of Fire amidst a Ritual Hall surrounded by oblational vessels, further sanctified by Vedic hymns.

Annex: 'Liken me to that Altar of Fire, centrally located in the ritual hall of Rama, namely the whole earth, and liken the oblational receptacles to nature's bounties like lakes, rivers, mountains, trees, and liken the offerings to flowers, fruits, and waters, and liken Vedic sound to the background drone of nature... and every bit of it is sanctified by all the hymns of Veda-s, as all Veda-s glorify them, the components of nature alone... and you profaner... it is impossible for you tread on this Fire Altar, that is me, blasphemously...'

This expression caNDaal has its own impact. Though this is amplified elsewhere it is reiterated here also. The nomenclature of caNDaal is not the present day 'untouchable' 'outcaste' or a 'pariah' etc., because he is also a member and an important functionary in Hindu system of castes. The analogy is between the Vedic-scholar and profaner, [meaning: one who is not initiated into religious rites or any esoteric knowledge...] and between the Altar of Fire and Fire of Pyre, and between the Vedic Ritual and Funeral Rites, both involving Vedic-hymns. A Vedic scholar may perhaps conduct a yaj~na but he is no authority to conduct antya kriya 'funerals' till its end. At best, a priest's function is until the lighting of the pyre, and even perhaps until kapaala moksha 'breakage of cranium...' and from then on it is the function of this caNDaal to take care of the corpse consigned to fire and for its complete cremation, since leaving half burnt corpse to vultures and foxes or wolves, is sinning. Thus, if a Vedic scholar conducts jaata aadi kriyaaH 'rites from birth onwards...' as an initiator, whereas a caNDaal conducts antya, uttara kriyaaH 'rites of death afterwards...' as a terminator. Thus, Ravana being a Vedic scholar is now conducting himself as a self-cremator.

"Likewise, I am the solemnly pledged legitimate wife of one who steadied himself in righteousness, and such as I am, you basely demon, it is impossible for you trespasser to touch me even. How a she-swan ever frolicking with majestic swans in bunches of lotuses can leer at a water-crow sneaking in a bunch of grass? 

"Oh, demon, you may either trammel or vandalise this inertial body of mine. I claim neither this body nor life of mine as my own. But I am intolerant to bear with any disrepute on this earth." Thus Seetha castigated Ravana. 

Annex: 'my father endowed me to Rama bodily in kanyaa daana 'bride betrothal...' and I soulfully resigned my soul, let alone my life, unto that Rama by my vara sviikaara, paaNi grahaNa... 'marriage...' as such I cannot reclaim my body and soul from Rama for placement in other's unworthy hands... thereby it is up Rama to win back his wife, or it is up to you to tangle, mangle, and wrangle with these ideas...'

Nobility is nobler than life. Hence, it is to be protected even at the cost of one's own life... anena pr˜õa parity˜gena api loka apav˜da pariharaõa p¨rvakam yaþa× samrakÿõŸyam iti s¨citam - tath˜ ca raghu vamþe k˜lid˜sa× - api sva deh˜t kim uta indriya arth˜t yaþodh˜n˜nam hi yaþo garŸya× - dk

Vaidehi on speaking those highly caustic words angrily to Ravana in this way, she that Maithili spoke no more in that matter. On hearing Seetha's scathing and hair-raising censures, then Ravana retorted with these intimidatory chides. 

"Oh, angry lady Maithili, listen to my words. A period of twelve months is given to you. And oh, smiley smiler, if you do not come nigh of me within that period, then the cooks will slice you to pieces for the purpose of a morning meal." 

dhvani/innuendo: Ravana the devotee is saying: 'I will wait for a period of twelve months... and if I am na abhyeSi 'unblessed...' tataH tvaam uddishya 'then, on your account...' praataH 'morning, next morning after twelve month period...' aashaa artham 'for the purpose of crows, eagles and vultures in direction, quarters...' suudaaH 'cooks...' maam Chesyanti 'me, they slice to pieces...' mat aaj~nayaa, iti shesaH 'by my order, thus ellipted...'

'I will wait for a period of twelve months... and if I am unblessed even by that time, by my order my cooks will slice me to pieces for the morning meal of vultures in all the directions of compass, as a kind of self-immolation by getting sliced to pieces as I will become unworthy for your grace...' Tiirtha.

If one king conquers another and lay seize to queens, a twelve month time is given to the defeated king to regain his captivated queens, by making another round of combat. If the defeated king is unable to do so, or reluctant to do so, the captivated queens of the defeated king automatically belong to the conquering king after twelve months, raja niita - shaanti parva - Maha Bharata.

Thus on saying those harsh words, Ravana, the one who makes his enemies to bewail, and who is now infuriated said this sentence to the guarding demonesses. 

"Oh, gnarled demonesses of grisly mien and devourers of meat and blood, you have to indeed remove her pride immediately. 

dhvani/innuendo: 'Oh, demonesses you now immediately become a+ vikR^itaa 'not, ghastly, not gnarled...' darpam vinaa 'your pride, without...' asyaat samiipe 'in her proximity, in her audience...' iSyadhvam 'be servitors...'

'Oh, demonesses of gnarled grisly mien and devourers of meat and blood, now you immediately become presentable, casting off your gnarled and ghastly appearances... and without your personal pride be in her servitude as servitors in her audience... for she is my Goddess Lakshmi...'

Just by that order of Ravana those demonesses of grotesque and ugly appearance have obediently made palm-fold to him and encircled Maithili. That king Ravana paced in an earth-shattering manner as though to cleave it and clearly said this to those demonesses with ghastly look. 

"Let this Maithili be taken to the centre of Ashoka gardens, where you all shall blockade and guard her stealthily. 

"You threaten her with dreadful admonitions and again speaking imploringly you all have to bring her under control, as a wild she-elephant of age will be brought under control. 

Annex: Ravana the devotee's the caution is: vinaa tarjaniaH 'without threats, tame her; or tarjanaiH vinaa ghoraiH where vinaa 'without...' is ellipted by commentators and said 'threats without dreadfulness...

'You as demons are already habituated to threat sages and saints till their death... but, mind it... just threaten Maithili till threat-tolerability... do not overdo it, lest she may die of threats... again brainwash her with good words of me and my generosity... if Maithili is dead at your hands deem that you and your families are effaced... for I cherish Maithili to live...'

When Ravana has clearly ordered, those demonesses on their part took Maithili to Ashoka garden. That Ashoka gardens are surrounded with trees that yield fruits to every savour, and now they are diversely flowered and fruited. Further, those gardens are highly adored by all-time lusty birds. But she that Janaka's daughter Maithili whose body is with a coverall of anguish, further on obtaining the control of demonesses, she is as good as a she-deer under the coverall of tigresses. 

Maithili, the daughter of Janaka, who is already consumed by utmost agony has not obtained any placidity now as with a she-deer bound by tether - where timorousness is common to both. 

Maithili knows no peace when the bizarre-eyed demonesses have highly intimidated her, and by shut-seeing those demonesses her reminiscences went over to her dear husband and about her brother-in-law Lakshmana too, and when she felt about the improbability of their coming here, she is distraught with alarm and anguish, and then she swooned. 

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An enigma called - Seetha

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Is Seetha really the Goddess Lakshmi? This question is often raised and answered by commentators. Ravana kidnapped umpteen numbers of beautiful women and goddess, but why his dialogues with Seetha are given many shades of meanings by all most all commentators. Is this for proving Ravana as devotee or else to prove that Seetha is not a human but Goddess Lakshmi - is the collateral objection. Apparently, Seetha is behaving like a normal woman but latently her speeches, verbiage, or the words put by Valmiki on her tongue, indicate that she is an all-powerful enigma... without saying who she is.

If she is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi how then can Ravana lift her up and carry this far - is the next dilemma, because Ravana's strength becomes useless to lift up Lakshmana who swooned on the battlefield when Ravana used Shakti missile. In Yuddha Kaanda Ch. 59 verse 111 it is said: himav˜n mandaro mero× trai lokyam v˜ saha amarai× | þakyam bhuj˜bhy˜m uddhartum na þakyo bharata anuja×

'Ravana may have lifted Mt. Himavan, Mt. Mandara, Mt. Meru or all the three worlds along with all gods, but he could not lift up Bharata's brother Lakshmana with both of his shoulders...'

Ravana wanted to distance fiercer Lakshmana from Rama so that Rama's intensity of warring lessens. Then an episode of this lifting occurs and Hanuma on seeing this comes to Ravana and hits Ravana with fist, by which Ravana falls distantly with blood effusing from eyes, ears, and mouth. Then Hanuma easily lifts up Lakshmana and takes him to Rama. A man in swoon will not weigh differently to two different lifters. How then Ravana could not lift Lakshmana, which is not at all a great feat to Hanuma? For this the very next verse 112 gives a reply saying that:

'even if Lakshmana is hit by Shakti missile of Brahma, he is conscious of himself as an unimaginable entity of God Vishnu, so Ravana could not lift Lakshmana. Whereas Hanuma happened to be a true devotee of God Almighty, he could easily lift Lakshmana...'

Then the original topic of Ravana's lifting and carrying off Seetha comes to fore. She is also another unimaginable entity of Supreme Person. How then can Ravana lift her? For this it is said that Seetha allowed herself to be carried off by Ravana as she pledged in the incarnation of Vedavati.

The legend goes on to say that Vedavati is the brainchild of a sage called Kushadhwaja, and he decides to give Vedavati only to Vishnu in marriage. But it is an unfulfilled desire in his lifetime. Then Vedavati starts a rigorous penance to achieve her father's wish. When she is at the culmination point of her penance, Ravana passing that way in skyway sees this beautiful lady, nears, and disturbs her penance. Vedavati coming out of her meditation curses Ravana saying that she will reincarnate herself to destroy Ravana and his entire dynasty. Then she causes a yogic fire and immolates herself in it. Ravana took this as prattle by a woman-hermit, dismisses that curse, and conveniently forgets it.

Later, Ravana being an ardent devotee of Shiva, on one day when he enters a lake to get lotuses for his daily worship of Shiva, and finds among lotuses a baby in a lotus. He brings that lotus and the baby to his palace, in all his fondness for children. But his empress Mandodari doubts the arrival of this baby in lotus and recognises that baby as Goddess Lakshmi. They consult their teachers about that baby's arrival. Those teachers, priests and pundits advise to get rid of this baby immediately, for she is Vedavati, arrived here only to end Ravana and his dynasty. Then Mandodari orders the servants to carry away this baby in a casket, and bury it.

Empress Mandodari further curses that girl saying: 'this faithless girl [for Wealth has no faithfulness, and this girl is recognised as Goddess Lakshmi - presiding deity of Wealth,] will thrive only in a house, where the householder has his senses conquered, and who being an emperor lives like a perfect hermit, and who though wealthy and supreme by himself, will care nothing for the riches but view whole of the world and people as his own soul, with an impartial attitude...' Mandodari thought that such a person is an impossibility to take birth in this mortal world, and thus presumed this curse to be twisty. But there is King Janaka who has all these attributes. A king without ego, wealthy one living simple, childless but yet does not crave for children, like King Dasharatha. Hence, he is called raajarshi a saintly king. While King Janaka was about to perform a Vedic ritual, he had to till some piece of land as a ceremonial act to commence that ritual. Then this casket with the baby is touched to the blade at the end of plough-beam and that plough halted. The attendants dug up that area only to find this casket with baby. The childless Janaka takes the baby into his arms and names her as 'Seetha...' where Seetha in Sanskrit means 'furrow.' This is as per aananda raamaayaNa Thus, Goddess Lakshmi became Vedavati and Vedavati became Seetha of Ramayana, as such Valmiki calls his Ramayana siithaayaH charitam mahaan...

Then another counter objection - it is all correct to say that all puraaNaa-s say that these characters in Ramayana as gods and goddesses, as Vishnu Puraana says raaghavatve havat siitaa rukmiNii kR^iSNa jananii. But does Valmiki say it in his epic? For this it is answered, though it is not said explicitly there are many instances indicating towards this divinity of Seetha. Seetha asks Fire-god to become cool for Hanuma, when his tail is burnt saying siito bhava hanumataa and likewise she could have said hato bhava raavaNa 'dead you are Ravana...' But she does not say so for, because Rama has to undertake that process of elimination of vice called Ravana. As Seetha said in Sundara Kanda Ch. 22, verse 20: a sandeþ˜t tu r˜masya tapasa× ca anup˜lan˜t | na tv˜m kurmi daþagrŸva bhasma bhasm˜rha tejas˜ ||

'As I have no indication from Rama to burn you down, nor do I wish to waste my ascetic power, therefore I do not burn you to ashes, though you are worthy to become a mound of ash...'

In the very next verse 21 she directly says to Ravana: na apahartum aham þky˜ tvay˜ r˜masya dhŸmata× | vidhi× tava vadha arth˜ya vihito na atra samþaya× ||

'I am un-seizable for [any] as I am the wife of bold Rama, but it happened so, for you are fated to doom [you could seize me...] undoubtedly...'

Again in Yuddha Kanda Brahma in eulogising Rama for eliminating Ravana says in Ch. 117, verse 28: siitaa lakshmiiH bhavaan viSNuH... 'Seetha is Lakshmi and you are Vishnu...' Like this, there are many bits and pieces of information to establish her as an incarnate of Vedavati alias Goddess Lakshmi. Govindaraja.

Then why she and Rama behaved like humans in their wailing, moaning, and bawling is again a secondary query. This is according to loka riiti, laukika vidhaana 'humanly nature, behaviour in human world...' Though this humanly behaviour is not innate trait as Rama says aatmaanam aham maanuSam manye 'I for myself confess to be human...' Hence this humanly wailing and bawling are due to an adopted human behaviour, where incarnation itself is an adaptation.

Their humanly behaviour is to show themselves as one with the humans, asking humans to undergo these series of sufferings to eliminate unrighteousness, either in the society or within themselves. Besides, their mission is to make believe Ravana that they are just humans, as Ravana is killable by humans and monkeys, but not to hoodwink readers, the adherents or all of us put together. Maheshvara Tiirtha.

This incarceration of Seetha in Ashoka gardens is viewed as the incarceration of the innate soul in birthed being's body. The release from that body, namely moksha is achievable only when that being wants a perfect release by transcending the threefold nature consisting of sattva, rajas, tamo guNaaH 'purity, activity and stolidity...' and with an unswerving devotion to the Supreme as said in Gita, 14-26: m˜m ca yo avyabhic˜reõa bhakti yogena sevate | sa guõ˜n samatŸtya et˜n brahma bh¨ya kalpate ||

'And such- / With single, fervent faith adoring Me, / Passing beyond the Qualities, conforms / To Brahma, and attains Me!' - Sir Edwin Arnold.

God Almighty is said to be masculine single, the rest of the universe is taken as feminine, as said in Vishnu Puraana: sa eva v˜sudevo ayam s˜kÿ˜t puruÿa ucyate | strŸ pr˜yam etat sarvam jagat brahma purassaram || Then the way the innate soul, called Seetha, is incarcerated is, when she had no help of the Supreme or the Adherent of the Supreme, [Rama and Lakshmana.] Then the Decahedral demon [the demon called Ten Motor Senses,] came and captured the Soul, called Seetha and incarcerated that soul in Lanka. The syllable 'lam' in the word Lanka is lam - biijaakshara which stands for earth, and because body is earthly, lascivious and carnal, the soul enters that body by its bondage. If that soul again tries for a final release, that soul shall seek the Ultimate as said in the verse of Gita, quoted above.

There is no instance to quote that Rama or Seetha have performed some miracles, special effects or any other optical works... perhaps due to lack of any FX studio or something like that, or due to their humanly behaviour. This wizardry is shown by demons and monkeys but not by mannish Rama or womanish Seetha. Yet Seetha is held more enigmatic than Rama. If she is not an enigma how she footslogged miles and miles in forests without hiring a taxi, and how she came out of blazing fire when she performed self-immolation after Great War? These are but two questions among many. Because these questions are never-ending and more enigmatic, because we think that we have deciphered what Rama is, it is better retain Seetha as an undecipherable enigma.

Thus, this is the 56th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 57

 

Rama meets Lakshmana while returning to hermitage after killing the deer demon Maareecha. He also confronts some ill omens and worries why Lakshmana left Seetha alone and came to him, sad facedly.

 

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Rama on killing that demon Maareecha, who is a guise changer at his wish and who moved about in the guise of a deer, instantly started to return on the trail by which he trailed after that deer-demon. While Rama is anxiously hurrying to see Maithili, then a brutish voiced jackal deafeningly howled at his behind. On hearing that threatening and hair-raising howl of jackal Rama is overly threatened just by the tone of fox in which it is foreboding, inasmuch as the forbidding intoning of Maareecha. 

"Huh! As to how this jackal has howled I deem that as inauspicious. As yet undevoured by demons would Vaidehi be safe? On knowing the nature of my voice Maareecha in the semblance of a deer yelled out mimicking my voice. If Lakshmana listens that voice, recognising it as my voice he will instantly rush to my near. Else if Maithili listens, she will hasten him to go over here and Soumitri instantly rushes here leaving her off. 

"As could be seen from Maareecha's becoming a Golden Deer only to sidetrack and take me away from hermitage, his becoming a demon when hit with an arrow, and his shouting words indeed like, 'ha, Lakshmana, ha, Seetha, I am killed,' the demons are collectively intending to do away with Seetha. It is certain. 

"Whether there will be safety in forest for those two, Seetha and Lakshmana, in my absence, or not, is my doubt. Owing to my devastating Janasthaana I have become a harboured grudge for demons, am not I! As such, foretokens are appearing now, severely and severally." Thus Rama's thoughts have sprinted. 

When that soulful Rama has heard the whistle of jackal while returning, he persistently thought in this way about his detour caused by demon in the disguise of a deer, thus he speedily advanced towards his hermitage. 

Raghava came to Janasthaana doubting overly, and the animals and birds of Janasthaana which look doleful have neared him whose heart has become doleful. 

Those doleful animals and birds moving in circumambulations from the left side to right of that noble-souled Rama they let off frightening shrieks, and then observing those highly forbidding foretokens Rama returned to his own hermitage hastily and hurriedly. 

It is ill-omened if the animals or birds move round from one's left to right side. anena m®ga pakÿiõ˜m apradakÿiõa gamanam aþubhakaram iti ukty˜ pradakÿiõa gamanam þubhakaram iti s¨citam - m®g˜ vihang˜× ca gat˜× pradakÿiõam mahŸbh®t˜m k˜nkÿita k˜rya siddhaye | ratnam˜la - dk

Then Rama saw Lakshmana coming towards him with a lacklustre face, and then Lakshmana, who is melancholic and anguishing in his divergence from Seetha, met Rama not a long-way-off, where Rama is a similar partaker in melancholy and anguishing by way of his convergence upon ill-omens. On seeing Lakshmana who has arrived at this place leaving off Seetha in a forest that is desolate, more so an adorable forest for demons, Rama reproached him as his elder brother. 

Taking Lakshmana's left hand into his, Rama, the descendent of Raghu, alike a bewailer spoke this brusque speech that has a mellowly fruition in future. 

This statement obtains two shades of meaning. One, the speech of Rama in reproaching Lakshmana though appear to be brusque, latently it is congratulatory to Lakshmana, to make happen the abduction of Seetha firstly, and thereby the ultimate elimination of Ravana. Two, he scolded Lakshmana prima facie for leaving Seetha, but on realising that he is not at fault, his speech is softened.

"You have done a deplorable deed in coming here forsaking Seetha. Now, oh, gentle Lakshmana, are we somewhat safe, or everything has already gone astray now itself, or what. 

"Oh, brave one, according to these many inauspicious forebodings that have manifested themselves to me, we might have lost Janaka's daughter Seetha, or the forest ranging demons might have devoured her, or else they might have kidnapped her, I am doubtless about it. Oh, tigerly-man Lakshmana, I wonder whether we can at least make out the daughter of Janaka Seetha in her intactness and aliveness. On observing these mobs of deer, this jackal, also even these birds which are voicing noisily facing the direction lit by the sun, oh, great-mighty Lakshmana, can we presume that there will be safety to that princes Seetha? 

"This very demon in his likeness to a deer led me on and led me off distantly as I was indeed following him, and by an intense effort somehow he was killed, and when dying he transfigured into a demon. 

"Now even my heart is woeful and I am woebegone, my left eye is also fluttering erratically, oh, Lakshmana, no doubt Seetha is not there in hermitage, maybe she is whisked away, or, wiped out, or, wandering around on a wrong way. 

The flutter of the left eye to males is ill-omened. anena puruÿasya manaso asantoÿo v˜ma netra sphuraõam aþubha s¨cakam iti ukty˜ dakÿiõa netra sphuraõam mana× santoÿa× ca þubha kara iti s¨citam | tath˜ ca raghu vamþe k˜lid˜sa× - tasy˜m ragho× s¨nu rup˜ sthit˜y˜m v®õŸta v˜ neti sam˜kulo ˜bh¨t | v˜metara× samþayam asya b˜hu× key¨ra bandhhoc×ravasito nunoda || - dk

Thus, this is the 57th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 58

 

Rama is anguished for Seetha's aloneness and it is expressed in his chastening Lakshmana. Rama asks him as to why he left Seetha unguarded in the lonely forest. Rama rushes rapidly to hermitage thinking and talking that rapidly to Lakshmana about Seetha, and on arriving he finds vacuity in hermitage and then he is thrown in throes of despair.

 

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On seeing dreary Lakshmana coming into the void of forest devoid of Vaidehi, then the virtue-souled Rama, the son of Dasharatha, has asked him impatiently. 

"She who has come in tow with me to Dandaka forest when I started for peregrination, whom you have now deserted and came here, oh, Lakshmana, she that Vaidehi, where is she? 

"When I have become forlorn with the forfeiture of my kingdom and when I was rushing for Dandaka forest she stood with me as a partaker in my woes. She that comely Vaidehi, where is she? 

"Without whom I am disinclined to live even for a moment, oh, valiant one, such a Seetha who in simile is like the daughter of deities and who is my life-force, where is she? 

"I am unambitious for the rulership either on heavens or on the earth, oh, Lakshmana, without the daughter of Janaka whose aspect glisters like gold. Vaidehi who is dearer to me than my lives, will she be alive somehow! Oh, valiant Lakshmana, this peregrination of mine, will it not become futile, someway! 

Annex: I neither can live devoid of Seetha, nor can complete the pledge of fourteen-year period of forest trek for ultimate annihilation of Ravana. If Seetha is dead I am also dead. Then I have live to fulfil the pledge. But when I am dead I will become a killer of my own pledge than my own body. If Seetha is no more what happens to her abduction, Ravana's elimination, and my pledge to gods and my incarnation...

"When I am dead for the sake of Seetha and when you get back to Ayodhya lonesomely, and when Kaikeyi's wishes are accomplished thus, oh, Soumitri, will she be comfortable, somewhat! Kaikeyi is with her son, with a kingdom, and further her 'purposes are achieved,' oh, gentle Lakshmana, and because of the death of her son will my austerely mother Kausalya humbly get into the servitude of Kaikeyi, anyhow! I wish to get at the hermitage again if only that Vaidehi of good-conduct is alive in hermitage, else, oh, Lakshmana, if death has already conducted her out of hermitage I too will give up my lives here itself. 

"If Seetha, the princess from Videha, does not chat with me as before smiling gleefully on my arrival at the hermitage, oh, Lakshmana, I really breath my last. Say Lakshmana, whether that pietistic Vaidehi is alive or not? Or, on your becoming unmindful of your guard is she consumed by demons, either? She who is softish by her nature and youngish by her age has never noticed the despair of separation from me, and now by my dissociation she will be despairing brokenheartedly, so it seems. 

"That impostor and highly impudent demon Maareecha who shouted loudly as, 'oh, Lakshmana,' might have caused fear even in you in everyway. 

Annex: 'you yourself have said that the Golden Deer is demon Maareecha, but I went after to eliminate the very same demon... then, how you are dismayed to hear a trickster's mimicking my voice and came rushing fearfully, were you fearful or did I yell like that right from our childhood, anytime...'

"I hope that Vaidehi has also heard that voice which is similar to that of mine, and I hope frightened as she is she might have also hastened you, and I hope you also have come to see me, that hastily! 

Annex: 'maybe, as a woman she is hopeless of my capabilities, but you are a coequal of mine, are you unhopeful of my capabilities and came rushing at the haste of a hasty woman, or what!

"In everyway you have caused hardship by leaving Seetha in isolation, and a leeway is given to the diabolical demons for a counterattack against us. 

Aside: 'anyway, a congratulatory hardship is caused by you to the demonic race, in unleashing Seetha in isolation from our fetters, and a leeway is given to those diabolic demons as well as to me... as I cocksurely attack them now in the name of Seetha, and it is cocksure that they have to surface now to counterattack me, instead of these tricks and gimmicks...'

"Raw-flesh eating demons are distraught as I have liquidated Khara, as a result those ghastly ones would have liquidated Seetha by now. There is no doubt about it. In everyway I am sunken in scourge, but oh, enemy-eliminator Lakshmana, what I can possibly do in present situation? Perchance, this sort of scourge is liable to chance upon me, alas!" Thus Rama gave vent to his feelings on his way to hermitage. 

In this way while thinking emotively about that curvaceous Seetha, Raghava hurriedly returned to Janasthaana along with Lakshmana. 

He that Rama who chastened his younger brother en route is worried in aspect and wizened is his mouth by hunger, by strain, and also thus by thirst, and suspiring heavily he arrived near at hermitage, and became dispirited when he beheld the hermitage in vacuity. That valiant Rama on quickly entering his own hermitage found it to be vacuous. Then he rushed out and went round a place of pastime of Seetha, saying 'yes, this is that place where she used to move round for plucking flowers.' And again he dashed in to hermitage only to find it as an empty cottage. Then he rushed out to some other place of playtime of Seetha yelling, 'yes, this is that place where she used play with deer, squirrels and birds.' And again came back to vacant hermitage, and again he dashed to some other prayer-time place exclaiming, 'yes, this is that very place where she offered her daily prayers.' Finally on returning to the vacant hermitage he became one who is plunged into hair-raising throes of despair as that cottage is emptied of Seetha. 

Thus, this is the 58th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 59

 

Rama reprimands Lakshmana for coming without Seetha. Lakshmana explains that he had to leave her owing to her anguished and angrily words and even by her rash remarks of Lakshmana. Even then, Rama is unhappy of Lakshmana's action in leaving her alone. The content of this chapter is to amplify what that has been said in the previous chapter. This dialogue between Rama and Lakshmana may be deemed to have happened before their approaching hermitage, as in the last few verses of last chapter, and on their pathway to their hermitage.

 

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Rama the descendent of Raghu, again asked Soumitri who strayed from the hermitage and whom his own anguish is distressing now, in the middle of path towards their hermitage. Rama spoke to such Lakshmana, "when I left her in the forest, I left only on confiding in you. For what reason you came to me on abandoning Maithili? 

"What my heart had been doubting, rather a perilous evil, oh, Lakshmana, that has become a fact on seeing only you, coming to me leaving off Maithili. Seeing your coming without Seetha on pathway at a distance my left eye and left shoulder have pulsated, and oh, Lakshmana, my heart too has fluttered." Thus Rama said to Lakshmana. 

When Sumitra's son Lakshmana, whose traits are blamelessly auspicious is addressed thus, anguish cast a double spell on him, one for the tongue-lashing of Seetha while the other for the reproach from Rama, and he replied Rama who is anguished in his own way. 

"I have not come here leaving her off either independently or intentionally, I came here, to your proximity, virtually driven by her hurtful words." Thus Lakshmana is relying Rama. Maithili gave an ear to that message which is loudly shouted as if by your honour saying, 'ha, Seetha... ha, Lakshmana... save me immediately...' 

"On hearing that grievous voice of yours and owing to her love for you she shuddered with fear and wept out to me 'hurry up...get going...' When she frequently and insistingly compelled me to go, I have replied Maithili in this sentence which is expressive of my confidence in you. 

" 'I do no think that there is a demon who can cause panic to Rama. All this is feigning. Someone might have typified his voice in this way, please control yourself. How can my esteemed brother who can safeguard even gods, oh, Seetha, will exclaim in saying, 'save me,' which is a highly disparaging and basely manner to call for the help of a lady to safeguard him in such circumstances. 

A hero will not expose a lady to risk when he himself is involved in such a risky position. aapat kaale strii samaahvaanasya kshudra kR^ityatvaat kutsitam - Govindaraja.

" 'But, somehow, for some reason, someone mimicking my brother's voice discordantly shouted words saying, 'Lakshmana save me. Oh, auspicious lady, it is unbefitting for you to panic, like lowly womenfolk who will be frivolously panicking for flimsy reasons, for the words like 'save me,' shouted by some demon, who may conceivably be Maareecha. 

" 'Enough is your slipping into consternation and you be undismayed. There is none in all the three worlds who took birth, or going to take birth, to defeat Raghava in any given battle of any terrible nature. Raghava is undefeatable even if all gods come battling along with Indra in their van.' This is what I said to Vaidehi" Thus Lakshmana is informing Rama. 

"Though I said thus, while her volition is overly besotted for you, Vaidehi said this tartly word to me outpouring tears. 

" 'In my respect you have harboured only an impure and nastily perspective to achieve me on the utter ruination of your brother, but I am unachievable to you. As to why you are refraining to rush towards Rama even though he is inordinately yelling, it hints that Bharata made some arrangements with you, and that is the reason why you have closely followed Rama in exile. 'You are an adversary of Rama comporting yourself in disguise, following him because of me, and searching for a leeway from Rama. Thereby now you are not rushing to Rama. 

"When Vaidehi spoke to me thus I hurriedly came out of hermitage to you with anger reddening my eyes and trembling my lips. 

Rama who is deluded by angst said to Soumitri who is speaking thus, that "your arrival without her is an improper deed, oh, gentle one. You know that I am capable enough to foil the demons, even then you have come out by the angry words of Maithili? On hearing bitter words of an angry lady you have came away on leaving her off, such as you are, I am not at all happy with you. 

"That which action of yours is there in non-compliance of my directive to stand guard to Seetha, either compelled by Seetha, or coming under your own ire, it shows your dereliction in everyway. 

"By whom I am detoured from hermitage in the form of a deer he is indeed a demon, and he fell flat when my arrow hit him down. When I effortlessly shot an arrow setting on bowstring and stretching the bow to full length, he hit by that arrow left deer's body to become a piteously bewailing demon wearing bracelets and the like ornaments. 

"Then hit down by arrow thus, he with an anguished voice that is clearly audible at a very remotely place and that which is mimicking my voice, uttered those highly gruesome words, whereby you have come here forsaking Maithili." Thus Rama said to Lakshmana on their way to their hermitage. 

Thus, this is the 59th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
 

Valmiki Ramayana - Aranya Kanda in Prose Sarga 60

 

Rama laments for Seetha's separation. He starts searching for her and goes on asking every plant, tree and animal, in a kind of frenzied attitude. This chapter is too poetic to summarise, hence this much is said here.

 

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While Rama is coming towards hermitage his lower eyelid frequently fluttered, his gait faltered, and he missed his footing. On closely watching those inauspicious forebodings Rama indeed uttered oftentimes reflexly thus as, 'would she be safe, in fact!'

He quickened himself and went with an ardency to see Seetha, and then on seeing an empty home his heart is distraught. Raghava looked like a flying-flutterer as his speed jostled his arms and gait flutteringly, and on closely probing there and there, and all-over the places of that cottage, then he saw the lustreless house of straw devoid of Seetha, alike a befogged wintry lotus-lake without lustre.

The trees of that woodland are seemingly weeping, as their flowers are witheringly weakening and their birds are weepingly warbling, and the animals are whingeingly weeping, and that woodland is charmless and utterly shattered, since its georgic deities have completely abandoned it. Rather utterly bestrewn are the deerskins and sacred grass blades, rather utterly battered are the tender-grass-seats and other mats in the compound of cottage, and he who ardently wanted to see Seetha, such a Rama, on seeing such an emptied locale and cottage, wept over, over and again.

By this bestrewn, battered, or shattered state of articles, it is evident that Seetha struggled a lot to get release from the clutches of Ravana, and in their tussle articles are in shambles. Hence, Ravana did not carry Seetha on a clod of earth as said in Adhyaatma Ramayana and other texts. Valmiki's Seetha is an out and out human, as of now.

"That bashful Seetha might be stolen by the grudging demons, or slain by the very same grisly demons, or savoured by some gruesome beasts, or else she strayed in this gauntly forest, and even she might have playfully shrouded herself in the grimly forest, or else she must be sheltering herself in this forest which will be gruelling to locate.

"Or else, she might have again gone to pick the flowers or fruits, or again gone to lotus-lake, or gone to the river for water." Thinking thus, Rama started his search for Seetha.

Though he searched effortfully for his dear Seetha he did not get her, and as his anguish is reddening his eyes the appearance of that glorious one seems to be that of a madman.

The word iva 'as though, seems to be, alike...' has some importance from the viewpoint of commentators, and some discussion is given in endnote on its usage. Because he is 'like' a madman, the translation shall also be 'like' a mad-translation, as long as he talks 'like' a madman.

Rama ran speedily from tree to shrub, from hill to hillock, from river to rivulet, and revolving around them he wailed for Seetha, as he is inundated in a sludgy ocean of woes.

Whether Rama 'really wept' over Seetha's absence or it the 'playacting' of god - is a much-debated topic. As a hero of the epic, it is 'real' weeping and it is necessary to arouse pathos, but should he be god or god incarnate, is 'weeping' manifest in the qualities of Omniscient - is the dilemma. Some points are presented in the endnote.

"Oh, Kadamba tree, seest thou someone a lady who is lover of Kadamba flowers, one with a lovable face and a love of mine, thou tellest me if thou knowest.

"Oh, Bilva tree, if thou seest someone who is drest in yellowy-ochry silks, whose skin likens to the silkiness of thine leaflets, breasts to thine rotund and silky Bilva fruits, thou tellest me...

"Otherwise, thou Arjuna tree, if thou knowest her who is a lover of thine Arjuna flowers and the ladylove of mine, thou telleth whether that slender-waisted daughter of Janaka liveth or otherwise...

"As to how this Kakubha tree shineth laden with creepy-creepers, foliole-foliage and flowery-flowers, this tree knowest Maithili whose thighs can be likened to the smoothish trunk of this very Kakubha tree...

"As to how this best tree among all trees heareth the chorus of honeybees that singest around it, thereby this Tilaka tree clearly knowest Maithili, a lover of Tilaka trees, as this shouldst have heard her.

"Oh, Ashoka tree, an alleviator of agony, that is thine name lingually... but practically and readily name me after thine, by showing my ladylove, as my agony has marred my empathy...

"Oh, Palm tree, if thou seest that lady breasted alike ripened-palm fruits of thine, and if thine mercy is mine, thou telleth of that shapely lady Seetha...

"Oh, Rose-apple tree, if thou seest Seetha and thee knowest my ladylove with golden glitter, thou telleth me without hesitation...

Or

"Oh, Rose-apple tree, if thou seest Seetha and thou knowest my ladylove whose complexion is smoothish like thine Rose-apples, thou telleth me unhesitatingly...

"Aha! Karnikaara tree, now thou art in full bloom and blooming magnificently, if thou seest that lover of Karnikaara-flowers and an immaculate ladylove of mine, thou telleth me...

Annex: 'you all might have seen when your friend was imperilled and you might have complained, or cried out with the rustle of your leaves or gestured with the swings of your branches, as humans would do with their voice and hands... and the birds and bees nestled on you also might have chorused, sadly... but those birds and bees are unable to communicate what has happened... you trees, though you may not have rushed to rescue her, as you are pegged on ground, you indicate to me, at least with your branchy gestures, what exactly has happened...

Rama has gone on asking trees like mango, niipa, massive saala, jack-fruit, kuruva, dhava, and even around daaDima, bakula, punnaaga, sandalwood, ketaka trees, and when he is running around them that highly glorious Rama appeared like a madman.

"Or else, oh, deer, dost thou know what bechanced to that fawn-eyed Maithili, one with quick-looks like thee deer? Or else, hast she herded herself into the herd of she-deer of yours...

Annex: 'poor trees... they cannot air their expression, hence Maithili is unsaid by them... but you deer, you can voice and gesticulate, then voice it out or gesticulate, since that Maithili is an all time playmate of you deer... and you are an expert in escaping, and you might have escaped when Maithili was in danger, does not matter, it is your nature, now tell me what exactly has happened...' [but, then that deer ran in a particular way, but Rama is now unable to decipher it... and concludes,] 'now also you are escaping expertly... leave it at that...'

"Oh, elephant, thou mightst beheld her whose thighs likens to your trunk at that problematic hour, thus methinks, and that Maithili is familiar to thee, and oh, best elephant, if thou beholdest her, thou tallest me...

Annex: 'though you are a pachyderm you are keen-eyed and you can find out even a thorn in the weed, also you are around this place for a long time, thus well acquainted with all of us... hence I deem that something must have happened and somehow you might have seen... though you could not prevent it with your massive head, trunk or legs, but tell me what exactly has happened...

"Fear not, oh, tiger, hast thou seen Maithili, the moonfaced ladylove of mine, if thou hast seen speak in good faith...

Annex: 'I know that you are a master prowler and a brave one, these deer and elephants are somehow fearing to tell me, but you tell me because you're a brave one... did you not prowl the prowler of Maithili... I also know that equal is the fear when one sees a tiger or when a tiger sees one... now you need not lift up your fore-paw and step back on seeing me... as I cause no harm now... but tell me, whether you ran after that one who caused some harm to Seetha or not, as Seetha never harmed you, when you were on the prowl hereabouts...' But that tiger retraced its steps, because Rama is an archer with a bow and arrows, without telling him that without exception all the animals vainly ran after Ravana trying to rescue Seetha. Such as he is, an uninformed one, he starts a delirious soliloquy in imagery.

"Oh lotus-eyed lady, in fact I have seen you my dear, then why this running away and concealing yourself under trees, why do not you reply me... Stay...stay... oh, best lady, don't you have mercy on me? You are not unacceptably tease-humoured! What for you ignore me? Oh, beautifully complexioned lady, even if you are running away your yellowy silk-sari betokens you, stay, if you have goodwill for me...

"Otherwise, she whom I have just seen me may not be Seetha, why because, it is unapt of her to avoid me who attained this wretched state, hence Seetha with cheery smiles is certainly murdered... Obviously the raw-flesh gorgers must have gorged that youngish lady on diving all her limbs in my absence from my dear one...

"Her face which is similar to a full-moon with pretty teeth, prettier lips, prettily nose and with prettyish earrings, might have obtained a blanched look when being devoured... But that exquisite and beautiful neck of that lady which shines forth in the colour of Campaka flower, befitting for any neck ornament, indeed it might be glutted down while she is bewailing... Her two arms which are delicate like tender leaves, ornamented with bangles and bicep-lets might have been definitely nibbled while they are wriggling with quivering fingers...

"This is as though I have forsaken this youngish Seetha really as a feast for the demons in my absence, and though Seetha has many relatives she has become as worse as a lonesome woman who is completely forsaken by her caravan who is lonesomely ready for the feast of highwaymen, and demons have feasted on her.

"Ha, Lakshmana... oh, dextrous one... have you seen my ladylove anywhere... ha, dear, where have you gone... oh, auspicious lady... ha, Seetha..." thus Rama lamented again and again in his search.

On bewailing in this way and on overly rushing from wood to wood, somewhere Rama has become highly delusional by the forcefulness of delusion and spots forest stuff as Seetha, though none of them have any resemblance to Seetha, and somewhere else, marking creepers, plants or slender shrubs and suchlike delicacies as Seetha he has become really alluded by the powerfulness of allusion, and elsewhere, he is not discriminating paths or pathless routes for his trekking as an impassioned one in the search of his ladylove, and thus he is nitid like a madman.

Rama is on the rove around woods, rivers, hills, mountain-rapids and thicketed forests, speedily and restlessly.

On going round the vast of great forest in that way and on searching for Maithili, his hope became intangible, but again he undertook the search for his ladylove, over-strenuously.

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Did Rama actually weep?

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Maheshvara Tiirtha says that, 'the word iva 'alike, seemingly, as though' is to be ellipted to all the expressions given by Rama, as god incarnate Rama did not 'really' weep over...' As such the expressions will become: shokaat paripluta iva, shokaat pradhaavan iva, vilapan iva etc., and they mean 'as though he is inundated in sea called lamentation... as though he wept... as though he ran after...' and the like. For this the viSNu puraaNa, umaa samhita is cited as reference, where Vishnu himself says: aham d˜þarathi× b¨tv˜ hanmi r˜vaõam ˜have | þrŸ mad r˜ma avat˜re asmin ajñavat kriyate mama | tatra þank˜ na kartavy˜ sarvajñena api m˜yay˜ | mat m˜y˜ mohitam rakÿo manuÿyam m˜m avekÿyati | anyath˜ tasya s˜ n¨nam na bhavet atra kutracit 'I on becoming Dasharatha's son will eliminate Ravana in combat... though Omniscient I conduct myself in the incarnation of Rama as a commoner by my Maya... thereby no doubt be nurtured by any... believing me a human Ravana will be mislead, as there is no other way for his elimination...' thus Tiirtha says that Rama did not actually 'weep or wail...'

But this is contradicted and said by later commentators, 'though Rama is Supreme Being he took up human incarnation and he conducted himself as a human. Hence there is no need to ellipt ellipses for many a time and portray him as a 'direct' god on earth. Valmiki has said this more than once through Rama's words that he is just a 'human...' aatmaanam aham maanuSam manye 'I for myself am a human...' etc., and here also Valmiki used this word iva only at a few places like unmatta iva, udbhraanta iva Even if Rama were to be 'god' on earth, for his fate of taking a human incarnation he is fated to behave as a human, and gets involved in human emotions, according to situations and his mental conditions. In such conditions, for he is 'god' he can 'evoke' an emotion as he evoked rancour many times when eliminating demons as in the episodes of Aranya when he was eliminating Khara, Dushana, and others. There is roSam aahaarayat tiivram... 'rancour, evoking, unusual...' 'and then evoking an unusual rancour to eliminate Khara in war, he eliminated Khara...' as at 3-30-19. Here when the word roSam is replaced with shokam and if it be said as shokam aaharayet tiivram... it suffices all contradictions. And in many other places, we see him aaharayet 'getting' wrath or sadness, or other humanly emotion. When he can 'evoke' one human emotion 'wrath', why not evoke other emotions like 'love, sadness, pity, kindness' and the like. Again, there are some subhuman emotions like greed, avarice, hate, jealousy etc., which are unbefitting to humans themselves, hence the question of Rama's evoking them for his activities, does not arise.

Then 'is this playacting of god, of hoodwinking of man called Rama in the name of Ravana...' is the connective question. The answer is 'neither...' for it is maya of Vishnu. In other way, it is not hoodwinking of Rama but it is the bewailing of god/Rama caused by the suffering of his adherents/devotee/subjects - particularly for Seetha, who is not just a devotee or adherer, but his own altar ego. Particularly when that god alone, through the so-called destiny, karma, fate etc, causes that suffering. Rama admits at verse 34 of this chapter 'this is as though I have forsaken this Seetha...' because of his passion for hunting, either the deer or the demon, thus bechanced is an ill fate on Seetha.

If Rama were to be god, he is not an 'featureless' god of advaita tenet, a nirguNa but he is saguNa 'featured' god and some of his many features are: svabhaavika anavadhika atishaya, j~naana, bala, aishvarya, viirya, shakti, tejaH, saushiilya, maardava, aarjava, sauhaardra, saumya, kaaruNya, maadhuryam, gaambhiirya, audaaryaadi aneka kalyaaNa guNa sampanna... of which we are concerned with kaaruNya, maardava features, 'pity and sheltering...' as Shudarshanaacaarya defined maardavam as aashrita viraha a-sahatvam maardavam 'impatience for the separation from his adherers...' and Rama wept with this pity and impatience for Seetha's separation from him.

However delinquent the children be, they do not know or care to know what their parents feel about their delinquency, because they themselves are thinking that they are not at all delinquent. But their parents, though they are aware of their children's delinquency, but unable to mend them, they suffer silently or blatantly. Here too it is the same predicament for Rama, though it is not parent-child relation, but it is man-wife relation, worthier enough for more suffering. His anguish is for the 'soul' called Seetha, going to be captivated in the 'body' called Lanka, and her deliverance is possible only on the annihilation of that body or holder of that body, namely Ravana, in the karmic cycle of birth-death. And none has a real glimpse or knowledge of that god or soul, but all go on assuming on their own as Bhagavad Gita says at7-24: avyaktam vyaktim ˜pannam manyate m˜m a-buddhaya | param bh˜vam aj˜nanto mama avyayam anuttamam | gita Which deem th' Unmanifested manifest, / Not comprehending Me in my true Self! / Imperishable, viewless, undeclared, - Sir Edwin Arnold. Hence, Rama really wept for Seetha and in fact, gods really weep even for us, madly and sadly, but we do not care, or wish to care.

Thus, this is the 60th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India. 

Sree Valmiki Ramayana

courtesy from

Sree Brahmasri Desiraju Hanumanta Rao ji

and  Sreeman Brahmasri K M K Murthy ji

 I Humbly bow to the  lotus feet of both of them

for the collection