October 22 - Sarga 20 of Sundara Kanda.
Ravana tempts Sita to accept him and enjoy riches and comforts unimaginable, and to forget Sri Rama who is languishing in the forest as a pauper and has no chance of ever setting eyes on Sita again.
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Ok, here is the deal. Sri Rama was in the forest on order from his father and was somehow eking out a life with Sita and Lakshmana. Poor Sita was easily abducted by Ravana about 8 months ago and taken to his impregnable island kingdom Lanka. She has been languishing there all this while and there is just no sign or even any hope of Sri Rama's coming ever to rescue her.
And here is Ravana, the supreme rakshasa that the whole world reels in fear of, gods and demons included. He has the richest and most prosperous kingdom ever imaginable. He wants Sita to be his wife and share in all the worldly physical pleasures imaginable. A simple situation indeed.
Ravana says as much in his well-chosen words.
मां दृष्ट्वा नागनासोरु गूहमाना स्तनोदरम् ।
अदर्शनमिवात्मानं भयान्नेतुं त्वमिच्छसि ॥
कामये त्वां विशालाक्षि बहुमन्यस्व मां प्रिये ।
सर्वाङ्गगुणसम्पन्ने सर्वलोकमनोहरे ॥
नेह केचिन्मनुष्या वा राक्षसाः कामरूपिणः ।
व्यपसर्पतु ते सीते भयं मत्तः समुत्थितम् ॥
स्वधर्मो रक्षसां भीरु सर्वथैव न संशयः ।
गमनं वा परस्त्रीणां हरणं सम्प्रमथ्य वा ॥
एवं चैतदकामां तु न त्वां स्प्रक्ष्यामि मैथिलि ।
कामं कामः शरीरे मे यथाकामं प्रवर्तताम् ॥
"Oh, Sita, why do you hide your lovely thighs that resemble elephant trunks, and your lovely middle and breasts, as if you are afraid of showing yourself to me?
"Look, oh, large-eyed beauty! I crave for you. Please oblige me! You are beautiful in every aspect, and your beauty steals the mind of this whole world.
"I think you know this - no humans or even rakshasas (who can take any form at will) can ever hope to come here and rescue you from me, and remove your fear of me.
"Indeed, without any doubt, it is the right (and permitted conduct) of rakshasas to go and take other men's women for their pleasure, to abduct them by force. You should know this, oh timid lady!
"And yet, against your wishes, I shall not force myself on you, oh Maithili! Even though an extreme, passionate, desire for you burns in me."
Ravana goes on to denounce Sita's choice of remaining poorly dressed and uncomfortable without food and drink. She can have the best of garlands, ornaments, perfumed baths, divine clothes, drinks, food, superluxurious beds and seats, entertainment from the best of musical instruments, all at her beck and call. Youth is fickle. Sita should not waste it like this, as it will soon pass like a flowing river and not come back.
Ravana becomes poetic. Brahma must surely have retired after creating such a beauty as Sita. With her extraordinary beauty and exuberant youth, no man would ever be able to resist her, not even Brahma! Ravana goes on to describe every part of Sita's body and its beauty.
All the gems and jewels Ravana has plundered in the world will be hers. She will reign like Goddess Lakshmi, and all of Ravana's queens and other women will serve her like apsaras.
Ravana is the epitome of virility and prowess and no one can match him. He has pulverized all his adversaries always. Sita should become his queen and command Ravana. He will do anything she will ask of him.
Errrrrr.
What about Sri Rama?
"And by the way, that Rama, he gave up his kingdom for an ascetic life in the forest. He sleeps on the bare ground. Whatever can he offer you, Sita!? In fact, I doubt that he is alive still.
"Rama has as much chance of seeing Sita as the cranes flying in the sky have hope of catching a sight of the moon heavily covered by clouds."
"Rama has as much chance of retrieving you, Sita, from me, as Indra had of getting heaven back from Hiranyakashipu after Indta was routed!" (Freudian - what about Narasimha!?)
न रामस्तपसा देवि न बलेन न विक्रमैः ।
न धनेन मया तुल्यस्तेजसा यशसापि वा ॥
"Oh, dear Sita, that Rama is just not comparable to me either in penance, or physical strength, or conquests in war, or in wealth, or in virility and prowess, or in fame. "
पिब विहर रमस्व मयि लल - "Oh Sita, come, drink, rejoice, and roam in joy, enjoy with me, and all the world will be your pleasure dome!"
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
