As the terribly worried Seetha could not find any trace of the return of Lakshmana or Rama, decided to answer the sannyasi in order to keep her worries in abeyance. The hapless Seetha did not know that the villain who had come in the guise of a sannyasi had decided to take her with him by abduction in case she was not prepared to accompany him of her own volition. She took the visitor to be a Brahman albeit an untimely guest who may curse her if she was indifferent or impolite to him. She therefore replied "I am the daughter of the Rajarishi Janaka, the king of Mithila, and my name is Seetha. I am also the dear wife and queen of Rama. Maybe you already know about him. In case you have not heard about him, let me tell you that he is a highly exalted prince in the world, and also an unambiguous, unblemished, unsullied one, and a broad-eyed ambidextrous one, who delights in bringing universal welfare. I am very proud of my husband.
"My father-in-law the great and lordly king Dasharatha decided to anoint Rama as the Crown Prince of Ayodhya. When Raghava's anointment was being organised, my venerable mother-in-law known as Kaikeyi begged her husband Dasharatha for the grant of the couple of boons promised to her by the king Dasharatha long ago in return for her saving his life. The boons she asked were the expatriation of my husband to forest for fourteen years and the anointment of her son Bharata instead of my husband Rama.
"The king was not inclined for the same. But Kaikeyi with great adamancy squeezed out the two boons from the unwilling king threatening him that 'If Rama is anointed now, come what may I will not eat, sleep, or drink and end my life this way'.
"My great resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age at that time, and I eighteen years.
"That is the reason why we are here.
"One known as Lakshmana is Rama's brother from another mother, and a follower of virtue and steadfast in his commitments, followed Rama as a helpmate, when Rama was proceeding to forests along with me.
"Because Rama always abides in probity and resolutely vowed to it, he entered Dandaka forest as an ascetic 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 the kingdom owing to Kaikeyi.
"Please make yourself at home. If you so require you may stay for the night. My husband will be returning shortly with plentiful forest produce, and plenty of meat on killing stags, mongooses, wild boars etc.
"Oh, Brahman, please let me know your name, parentage and caste. For what reason you are wandering in Dandaka forest alone?......"
"Oh, Brahman, please let me know your name, parentage and caste. For what reason you are wandering in Dandaka forest alone?......"
Ravana, the great-mighty king of rakshashas, brusquely and vaingloriously replied Seetha, even before she finished her questions "Oh, Seetha, my name is Ravana, sovereign of hosts of rakshashas and the mere mention of my name would startle all the worlds composed of gods, rakshashas and humans. On seeing you, oh, the impeccable one, glittering with golden complexion and attired in orchry silks, I lost interest in all my wives.
"You become my prime queen above all the choicest women with superior status, whom I have appropriated from here and there.
"Nestled on a mountaintop my great city known as Lanka is situated in the midst of an ocean. Oh, Seetha, there you can saunter in pleasure-gardens along with me.
"Oh, Seetha, if you become my wife, five thousand handmaidens adorned with ornaments of every description will be in your attendance."
Seetha looking scornfully at Ravan replied him hotly "I have avowed to adhere as my husband only Rama, who is inflexible like a sturdy mountain, comparable to lordly Indra, unshakable like a vast ocean.
"He who is enriched with all the desired 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 him and only him.
"He who is ambidextrous, broad-chested, supreme among men, and a lion-like person with the strides of a prancing lion, and I am avowed to adhere to only that man called Rama.
"He who is a valiant one with a face like that of full-moon, a prince with untold charms, and he who is expressly acclaimed and effectively armed, and I am avowed to adhere to that man named Rama.
"You being a fox you woo me who is an absolutely inaccessible lioness! Why wooing, it is impossible for you to even touch me as with the untouchable Shine of the Sun.
"You who is an ill-fated rakshash, by your wooing the dear wife of Raghava, you must be visualizing many golden trees, undeniably.
"Do you wish to yank fangs from the mouth of a ravenous lion, the expeditious challenger of animals, or from the mouth of a rebounding venomous serpent?
"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 the lethal poison?
Comment.
Remember the ''haalahala' " poison from the churning of the Mt. Mandara? If not read the Chapter 18. The legend of churning Milk Ocean. again.
End Comment.
Remember the ''haalahala' " poison from the churning of the Mt. Mandara? If not read the Chapter 18. The legend of churning Milk Ocean. again.
End Comment.
"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. Or 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, is like stealing away a glowing fire in a cloth-bundle.
"You who wish to abduct me with an auspicious legend as the wife of Rama, is like stealing away a glowing fire in a cloth-bundle.
"You who wish to override the befitting and selfsame wife of Rama, is like wishing to tread on the needle-sharp spikes of iron spears.
"It is very well known by all the odds between a lion and a fox in a given forest, between a turbid-rivulet and an ocean, between a fine-wine and sour-gruel. Likewise you are also at odds with Rama the son of Dasharatha.
"Like the parity between the metals of gold and lead, the waters of sandalwood and sewage, between an elephant and a wildcat of forests, such a parity exits between the great son of Dasharatha and your lowly self.
"Which dissimilarity obtains between a crow and an eagle, a waterfowl and a peacock, a swan and a falcon living in forest, such a dissimilarity exists betwixt you and the son of Dasharatha.
"Even if you steal me away now, later when Indra similar Rama accosts you 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."
After thus giving vent her contempt for Ravana, Seetha trembled as a banana plant up heaved by gust.
Noticing Seetha to be tremulous, Ravana decided to scare her by clearly informing her of his name, caste, competency, and capability.
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