Ravana reached at the end of his tether on hearing Seetha's arguments which sounded to him as the blabbering of an imbecile. He thought that Seetha may change her opinion in his favor if she sees his real mighty body. He, therefore shed the disguise and resumed his own guise. He then looking at Seetha told her loftily "Like everyone in all the worlds, you too must have heard about my valour and vanquishes. Perhaps you have not cared to remember about them in your madness for Rama.
"Standing on the sky I can lift up the earth with just 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 but lovely woman, I can assume any form as I wish, and endow any wish you wish. As I have all the attributes any sensible woman would wish for her husband, I must be your husband. Behold me and enjoy the sight."
He was telling Seetha the above in utter rage. As such his eyes became further bloodshot and blackened at their edges. In his own guise he looked like Yama. He stood before Seetha showing his mighty physique expecting her to melt with love on seeing such a magnificent manly physique, which was dissimilar to the girlish physique of her husband Rama.
Ravana continued "If you wish to have a husband who is well renowned in all the three worlds you seek shelter in me. I alone will be the most appropriate match as your husband. Ultimately you have a much lauded husband in me. Come with me, and I will not cause any displeasure to you at any point of time. Let your heart refrain from that human Rama and you start bringing round your heart towards me.
"Oh, halfwitted lady, you think yourself a highly intellectual lady, but you stick to that mindless Rama who just by the word of a greedy woman relinquished 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 the kingdom, and who as a human has a very short life, I wonder by what merits you are impassioned for such a chap called Rama?"
Saying the above, Ravana closed near Seetha. Seeing her on close quarters that verily evil minded Rakshas Ravana became more maddened by lust and grabbed her, as Budha, (i.e. the Planet Jupiter) grabs the Star Rohini in the firmament.
He lifted the lotus-eyed Seetha with one of his left hands at her plait of hair at nape, and with a couple of his right hands at her thighs.
The deities in the forest could not bear the atrocity, and hence quickly fled away as they did not have the power to prevent Ravana doing this dirty, nefarious and heinous act.
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 before Ravana braying noisily. Ravana lifted her up by her waist and got Vaidehi up on the air-chariot intimidating her with bitter words with a malicious grin.
Seetha was totally stunned. When regained her senses she cried aloud calling her dear Rama. Despite the fact that Seetha was absolutely and totally repulsive for any kind of sensuality and was writhing like the wife of the King Cobra, Ravana surged skyward and flew off with her in his air-chariot.
While that heinous rakshash was abducting her in the sky way, Seetha became frenzied with bewildered faculties and then started bawling stridently and hysterically "Haa, greatly dexterous Lakshmana... oh, rejoicer of your mentor... you are incognizant of me who is being abducted by this rakshas.
Comment.
May be you too would be wondering why Seetha shouted help from Lakshmana instead of Rama, particularly when she had admonished Lakshmana earlier. The possible explanations are a) she did not really mean what she accused of Lakshmana and b) Lakshmana left the hermitage just now, so he must be within earshot, while Rama went into deep of the forest long back.
End Comment.
"Oh, Raghava, you have relinquished your high life, happiness, and riches for the sake of righteousness, and though you avowed to protect your observance, you are unobservant of me who is 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 sinner, Ravana?
"I suppose that I am to resign to the fact that the result for an evil act does not follow instantaneously. Even the time becomes a factor in the matter of cause and effect, as with the crops becoming cookable after certain time lag."
Then she addressed Ravana "You seem to have lost your brains in all your heads. For this heinous act you will get a devastating and life-ending tribulation from Rama."
Seeing the lustful grin on all the faces of Ravana, Seetha soliloquized "An honest wife of the glorious man Rama who aspires nothing but honesty, I am being abducted, thus the aspiration of Kaikeyi and her kinfolk has now come true. Oh, god!"
Reaching at the end of her tethers, Seetha did not know what to do. She therefore started crying aloud addressing the woods and others on the ground "I call the attention of the flowered Karnikaara trees of Janasthaana, you inform Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha. I pray you who are with the bustle of swans and other water birds, as well as the river Godavari, you promptly tell Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha.
"I also venerate you, the deities who travel in this forest and those who abide on the treetops, you may please inform my husband that I am being stolen.
"Those who are living over there on the ground below, as well as all the flocks of birds and hoards of animals, I pray you to convey this news to my husband Rama.
"Inform my husband about his dear and lofty wife the helpless Seetha is being 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 would bring me back, even if he had to fight against all of the gods in heaven, or, against Yama, the Death God."
She then saw the eagle Jataayu perching on a tree. Gripped by by fear she shrieked squeakily with a stuttering voice that was mingled with anguish "Oh, fatherly Jataayu, see me, like an orphaned one I am pitiably abducted by this lord of rakshashas. May be it is impossible for you to forestall this merciless nightwalker, for he is formidable. Oh, Jataayu, everything about my abduction may please be conveyed to Rama, or to Lakshmana."
Comment.
Ah! you might have heard or perhaps seen in movies/TV serials the famous "Lakshmana rekha". This has been added in subsequent versions. It is not there in this version as Maharishi Valmiki is quite clear about the fact that
'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-devotee, and no more mythological bends are required to prove her chastity. She herself proved this with her agni pravesha ' (self-immolation) later. If Seetha acquired a blemish by mere touch, then Draupadi will be in a more pathetic state, since she was physically handled by Dushasana, . Whether it is myth or real, Seetha was not at all a frailty to yield up that easily nor a weak bodied one for an easy molestation. She traveled long distances by foot in forests. These ladies of yore are said to have their yogic faculties. As an example Gaandhaari, the mother of Duryodhana, in Maha Bharata made 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 Hanuman in Sundara Kaanda, Seetha says: siito bhava 'cool down...' 'Let the fire on the tail of that monkey be a coolant to him...' and it happened accordingly. That burning tail burnt whole Lanka, except some places, without any scorching effect on Hanuman. Likewise she could have said at Ravana hato bhava 'dead, you are...' but she did not say so obviously for the reason that Rama's pledge to saints and sages to eliminate evil on earth is to be fulfilled by Rama alone.
End Comment.
============================================================
"Standing on the sky I can lift up the earth with just 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 but lovely woman, I can assume any form as I wish, and endow any wish you wish. As I have all the attributes any sensible woman would wish for her husband, I must be your husband. Behold me and enjoy the sight."
He was telling Seetha the above in utter rage. As such his eyes became further bloodshot and blackened at their edges. In his own guise he looked like Yama. He stood before Seetha showing his mighty physique expecting her to melt with love on seeing such a magnificent manly physique, which was dissimilar to the girlish physique of her husband Rama.
Ravana continued "If you wish to have a husband who is well renowned in all the three worlds you seek shelter in me. I alone will be the most appropriate match as your husband. Ultimately you have a much lauded husband in me. Come with me, and I will not cause any displeasure to you at any point of time. Let your heart refrain from that human Rama and you start bringing round your heart towards me.
"Oh, halfwitted lady, you think yourself a highly intellectual lady, but you stick to that mindless Rama who just by the word of a greedy woman relinquished 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 the kingdom, and who as a human has a very short life, I wonder by what merits you are impassioned for such a chap called Rama?"
Saying the above, Ravana closed near Seetha. Seeing her on close quarters that verily evil minded Rakshas Ravana became more maddened by lust and grabbed her, as Budha, (i.e. the Planet Jupiter) grabs the Star Rohini in the firmament.
He lifted the lotus-eyed Seetha with one of his left hands at her plait of hair at nape, and with a couple of his right hands at her thighs.
The deities in the forest could not bear the atrocity, and hence quickly fled away as they did not have the power to prevent Ravana doing this dirty, nefarious and heinous act.
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 before Ravana braying noisily. Ravana lifted her up by her waist and got Vaidehi up on the air-chariot intimidating her with bitter words with a malicious grin.
Seetha was totally stunned. When regained her senses she cried aloud calling her dear Rama. Despite the fact that Seetha was absolutely and totally repulsive for any kind of sensuality and was writhing like the wife of the King Cobra, Ravana surged skyward and flew off with her in his air-chariot.
While that heinous rakshash was abducting her in the sky way, Seetha became frenzied with bewildered faculties and then started bawling stridently and hysterically "Haa, greatly dexterous Lakshmana... oh, rejoicer of your mentor... you are incognizant of me who is being abducted by this rakshas.
Comment.
May be you too would be wondering why Seetha shouted help from Lakshmana instead of Rama, particularly when she had admonished Lakshmana earlier. The possible explanations are a) she did not really mean what she accused of Lakshmana and b) Lakshmana left the hermitage just now, so he must be within earshot, while Rama went into deep of the forest long back.
End Comment.
"Oh, Raghava, you have relinquished your high life, happiness, and riches for the sake of righteousness, and though you avowed to protect your observance, you are unobservant of me who is 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 sinner, Ravana?
"I suppose that I am to resign to the fact that the result for an evil act does not follow instantaneously. Even the time becomes a factor in the matter of cause and effect, as with the crops becoming cookable after certain time lag."
Then she addressed Ravana "You seem to have lost your brains in all your heads. For this heinous act you will get a devastating and life-ending tribulation from Rama."
Seeing the lustful grin on all the faces of Ravana, Seetha soliloquized "An honest wife of the glorious man Rama who aspires nothing but honesty, I am being abducted, thus the aspiration of Kaikeyi and her kinfolk has now come true. Oh, god!"
Reaching at the end of her tethers, Seetha did not know what to do. She therefore started crying aloud addressing the woods and others on the ground "I call the attention of the flowered Karnikaara trees of Janasthaana, you inform Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha. I pray you who are with the bustle of swans and other water birds, as well as the river Godavari, you promptly tell Rama that Ravana is thieving Seetha.
"I also venerate you, the deities who travel in this forest and those who abide on the treetops, you may please inform my husband that I am being stolen.
"Those who are living over there on the ground below, as well as all the flocks of birds and hoards of animals, I pray you to convey this news to my husband Rama.
"Inform my husband about his dear and lofty wife the helpless Seetha is being 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 would bring me back, even if he had to fight against all of the gods in heaven, or, against Yama, the Death God."
She then saw the eagle Jataayu perching on a tree. Gripped by by fear she shrieked squeakily with a stuttering voice that was mingled with anguish "Oh, fatherly Jataayu, see me, like an orphaned one I am pitiably abducted by this lord of rakshashas. May be it is impossible for you to forestall this merciless nightwalker, for he is formidable. Oh, Jataayu, everything about my abduction may please be conveyed to Rama, or to Lakshmana."
Comment.
Ah! you might have heard or perhaps seen in movies/TV serials the famous "Lakshmana rekha". This has been added in subsequent versions. It is not there in this version as Maharishi Valmiki is quite clear about the fact that
'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-devotee, and no more mythological bends are required to prove her chastity. She herself proved this with her agni pravesha ' (self-immolation) later. If Seetha acquired a blemish by mere touch, then Draupadi will be in a more pathetic state, since she was physically handled by Dushasana, . Whether it is myth or real, Seetha was not at all a frailty to yield up that easily nor a weak bodied one for an easy molestation. She traveled long distances by foot in forests. These ladies of yore are said to have their yogic faculties. As an example Gaandhaari, the mother of Duryodhana, in Maha Bharata made 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 Hanuman in Sundara Kaanda, Seetha says: siito bhava 'cool down...' 'Let the fire on the tail of that monkey be a coolant to him...' and it happened accordingly. That burning tail burnt whole Lanka, except some places, without any scorching effect on Hanuman. Likewise she could have said at Ravana hato bhava 'dead, you are...' but she did not say so obviously for the reason that Rama's pledge to saints and sages to eliminate evil on earth is to be fulfilled by Rama alone.
End Comment.
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