Chapter 47 - The Conversation of Ravana and Sita

Thus addressed by Ravana in the guise of a mendicant, who had resolved to bear her away, Sita reflected:—

‘This person is my guest and a brahmin; if I do not answer him he may curse me!’ and thinking thus, she said:—

“May good betide you! I am the daughter of the high-souled Janaka, the King of Mithila, my name is Sita and I am the beloved consort of Rama. For twelve years, I dwelt in the palace of Ikshvaku, where all my desires were gratified and I enjoyed every comfort.

“In the thirteenth year, the king with the approval of his ministers decided to enthrone Rama. All being ready for the installation of Raghava, Kaikeyi, one of my mothers-in-law, requested a boon of her lord. Having gratified my father-in-law by her services, she extracted two promises from him, the exile of my husband and the installation of her son Bharata, saying:—‘I shall neither eat drink nor sleep if Rama is enthroned and it will prove the end of my life.’

“The Lord of the Earth, my father-in-law, hearing her speak thus, offered her diverse gifts, but Kaikeyi refused them. At that time, my lord was twenty-five years old and I eighteen. Being loyal, virtuous, honourable and devoted to the good of all, my lord, Rama, endowed with long arms and large eyes, was renowned throughout the world. Our father King Dasaratha, blinded by passion, in order to please Kaikeyi, did not install Rama, and when he came before his sire, in order to receive the crown, Kaikeyi addressed the following bitter words to him:—“O Ramacandra, hear from me the decree issued by your father. This great kingdom is to be given to Bharata and you are to dwell in the forest for fourteen years. Now go hence, and save your sire from the sin of perjury.”

“Then the imperturbable Rama replied: ‘So be it’ and acted accordingly. My lord of firm vows, accustomed to give and not to receive commands, who ever speaks truth without prevarication, hearing these words acquiesced and has fulfilled his vow to the uttermost. His brother, the valiant Lakshmana, a Lion among Men and the companion of Rama in combat, the Destroyer of his Foes, given to asceticism, bearing his bow, followed Rama into exile with me.

“Thus Raghava, fixed in his vow, wearing matted locks, accompanied by myself and his younger brother, penetrated into the depths of the forest of Dandaka. We have all three been banished from the kingdom by Kaikeyi and, depending on our own strength, wander about in the forest. Remain here awhile, O Foremost of the Twice-born, my lord will soon return with an abundance of roots and fruit and sufficient venison, having slain deer, kine and boar. But you, O Brahmin, tell me who you are and what your name, family and lineage. Why dost you range the Dandaka Forest alone?”

Hearing the words of Sita, the consort of Rama, the mighty titan replied in these harsh words:—

“O Sita, I am that Ravana, King of the Titans, in fear of whom the world, the Gods, titans and men tremble. O Source of Delight, since I beheld you shining like gold, clad in silk, my consorts have ceased to find favour with me. Do you become the chief queen of those countless women, stolen away from many quarters by me.

“Lanka, my capital, set in the midst of the sea, is built on the summit of a hill. There, O Sita, wander with me in the groves and thus forget the forest. O Lovely One, if you dost become my wife, five thousand servants adorned with diverse ornaments shall attend on you.”

The blameless daughter of Janaka, being thus addressed by Ravana, was filled with indignation and answered that titan with contempt, saying:—

“I am dependent on my lord, Rama, who is as steadfast as a rock, calm as the ocean and equal to Mahendra himself, Rama, endowed with every good quality, who resembles the Nyagrodha tree in stature. I am dependent on that illustrious and noble warrior, whose arms are long, whose chest is broad, whose gait is like a lion’s, nay, who resembles that king of beasts; to him, the greatest of men, I give my whole allegiance. To Rama, whose countenance resembles the full moon, the son of a king, master of his passions, of immeasurable renown and power, I shall ever remain faithful.

“O Jackal, you desirest a she-lion but art no more able to possess me than grasp the light of the sun 1 You Wretch, who seeks to carry off the beloved spouse of Raghava! Verily you dost imagine the trees that you seest before you to be made of gold, that you are seeking to draw the teeth of a famished and courageous lion, that enemy of the deer, or extract the fangs of a poisonous snake. Dost you desire to lift up the Mandara mountain with your bare hands or live at ease after drinking poison? You dost seek to rub thine eyes with a needle and lick a razor with your tongue! You desirest to cross the ocean with a stone round your neck or grasp the sun and moon. O You who seeks to bear away the beloved wife of Rama, you are endeavouring to carry a blazing fire in your robe or walk on iron spikes.

“The disparity between you and Rama is as that between a jackal and a lion, a brook and an ocean, the nectar of the Gods and sour barley gruel; between gold and iron, sandal and mud, an elephant and a cat, an eagle and a crow, a peacock and a duck, a swan and a vulture. Even should you steal me, if that mighty archer, Rama, whose prowess is equal to the Lord of a Thousand Eyes, still lives, you will no more be able to devour me than a fly can eat the clarified butter into which it has fallen.”

Addressing that cruel Ranger of the Night thus, the guileless Sita shook like a leaf in the wind.

Perceiving her distress, Ravana, terrible as death, began to boast of his race, his power, his name and his exploits, in order to increase her fear.