Part 3: Attempts to seduce Sītā

Ṇow, in the city Laṅkā Mandodarī and the other women of Rāvaṇa’s palace lamented at the news of the killing of Khara and others. His sister, Candraṇakhā, weeping, beating her breast with her hands, entered Rāvaṇa’s house with Sunda. Seeing Rāvaṇa, she clung to his neck and, weeping very loud, said: “Alas! I am destroyed by fate. My son is killed, my husband is killed, my two brothers-in-law are killed, and fourteen thousand of the family-soldiers are killed. The capital, Pātālalaṅkā, which was turned over to you, is destroyed by insolent enemies, while you are alive, brother. Fleeing to save my life, I took refuge with you with my son Sunda, having come here. Where shall I stay? Tell me.”

Daśāsya enlightened her confidently as she was weeping, “I shall soon kill the slayer of your husband and son.” Suffering from that sorrow and also from illness because of separation from Sītā, he remained on his couch, having fallen like a tiger that has missed his jump.^[1] Then Queen Mandodarī came to him and said, “Why, master, do you remain like a low person, as if you were helpless?” Rāvaṇa replied: “Because of a fever from separation from Vaidehī, I am not able to move, nor speak, nor think. If there is any advantage to you from me alive, abandon pride, proud lady. Go and induce Vaidehī to consort with me. Certainly, I shall not enjoy another’s wife unwilling. In this matter there is a promise on my part with my guru as a witness, which is a bar.”

Grieved by her husband’s grief, she, high-born, went at once to the garden Devaramaṇa and said to Sītā: “I am Daśānana’s chief-queen, Mandodarī. Turn to Rāvaṇa. I shall be your slave. Sītā, you alone are fortunate whom my husband wishes to serve, he whose lotus-feet are served by everyone, powerful. Now of what use is Rāma, an earth-dweller, a wretched creature, a mere soldier, as a husband, if Daśānana can be obtained as a husband?” Sītā spoke angrily: “Here a lion, there a jackal; here Garuḍa, there a crow; here Rāma, there your husband! Indeed, being husband and wife is fitting for that wretch and you. One of you wishes to enjoy other men’s wives, and the other becomes his messenger! You are not fit even to see, much less quarrel with. Go! Go from this place. Get out of my sight!”

Then Rāvaṇa went there and said: “Why āre you angry, Sītā? Mandodarī is your slave. I myself am your slave. Show me favor, queen. Why do you not favor this person even with a glance, Jānakī?”

Sītā, very virtuous, her face averted, said; “You are seen by Kṛtānta’s glance, you, kidnaping me, Rāma’s wife. Shame on the hope of you whose hope is destroyed, seeker of the unsought (death), villain! How long will you live since Rāma and his younger brother are death to enemies?” Even though reviled by her in this way, again and again Daśānana spoke in the same way. Alas! the state of love is very powerful.

Just then, ās if unable to look at Sītā plunged in disaster, the depository of light submerged in the western Lavaṇa Ocean. Dreadful night began and Rāvaṇa, possessing a terrible mind, blind with love and anger, launched attacks on Sītā. Huge owls hooting, jackals howling, wolves making various noises, cats fighting each other, tigers giving blows (on the ground) with their tails, serpents hissing, Piśācas, ghosts, vampires, ghouls with drawn knives, leaping up, like badly behaved councilors of Yama, created by Rāvaṇa, came to Sītā, terrifying. Sītā continued meditating on the formula of homage to the Five Supreme Ones and was unterrified in fact and, moreover, did not turn to Daśānana. At dawn Bibhīṣaṇa went near Daśagrīva, after hearing about the events of the night, and said to Sītā: “Fair lady, who are you? Where are you from? Whose daughter are you? Why are you here? Do not be afraid. Tell everything to me who am a brother to other men’s wives.”

Recognizing that he was a mediator, Sītā related with downcast face: “I am Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, sister of Bhāmaṇḍala, wife of Rāmabhadra, daughter-in-law of Daśaratha. I came with my husband and his brother to the forest Daṇḍaka. There one day my brother-in-law was wandering to and fro for amusement and saw a large sword in the air, and seized it from curiosity. He cut a nearby bamboo-thicket with the sword and unintentionally cut off the head of its subduer who was inside the thicket,

‘Oh! I have killed some innocent man who was not fighting,’ as if remorseful he came to his brother. Some woman friend of the subduer of the sword came there in anger, after my brother-in-law. Seeing my husband, an Indra of wonderful beauty, afflicted with a desire for dalliance, she asked him and my husband scorned her. She went away and a large army of Rakṣases came. Lakṣmaṇa agreed on a lion’s roar as a sign of distress and went to fight. A Rākṣasa gave a false lion’s roar, led my husband far away, seized me for his own destruction, evil-minded.”

After hearing this, Bibhīṣaṇa bowed to Rāvaṇa and said: “This action which you have committed, master, is a disgrace to the family. Before Kākutstha comes here with his brother to kill us, take Sītā and release her in his presence.” Rāvaṇa, red-eyed from anger at this speech, said: “What’s this you say? Do you, timid, forget my valor? For Sītā, having been pacified, necessarily will be my wife. I shall kill the wretches, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, if they come.” Bibhīṣaṇa said: “Brother, the speech of the astrologer was true, that our family would be destroyed on account of Sītā, wife of Rāma. Otherwise, how can you disdain the speech of me, a devoted brother? How has Daśaratha, killed by me, lived so long? Even if a future event can not be otherwise, nevertheless, long-armed one, you are requested: Free Sītā who is the destroyer of our family.”

Just as if he had not heard Bibhīṣaṇa’s speech, he put Sītā in Puṣpaka and, wandering, showed her: “These are pleasure-mountains with peaks of jewels and sweet cascades. These groves resemble the garden Nandana. These are bath-houses with showers of anything desired. These are pleasure-rivers with haṃsas, lady with a haṃsa-walk. These are pleasure-houses resembling bits of heaven. Play with me in these wherever you wish, fair-browed lady.” Meditating on Rāma’s lotus-feet, like a haṃsī, the daughter of Janaka, like the earth in firmness, was not shaken at all by his speech. After wandering about for a long time in all the charming places, Daśānana released Jānakī again in the grove of aśokas.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See III, App. I.