October 23 - Sarga 21 of Sundara Kanda.
As Hanuman watches, hiding in the tree, Sita gives a most marvellous reply to Ravana's overtures.
***
What would be a one-line summary of the great epic, Ramayana? Valmiki himself supplies the answer, at the very beginning of his teaching it to the princes Kusha and Lava:
काव्यं रामायणं कृत्स्नं सितायाश्चरितं महत् ।
पौलस्त्यवधमित्येवं चकार चरितव्रतः ॥
"The accomplished sage Valmiki taught this poem, Ramayana, in its entirety, being the glorious story of the great queen Sita, and the destruction of the rakshasa Ravana (son of Pulastya)."
Valmiki chooses to mention Sita's greatness and Ravana's death. Nothing is said about Sri Rama here!
We can begin to understand Sita's greatness as we read how she replies to Ravana, with his "irresistible" offer of unimaginable pleasure and comfort in his arms.
***
The diminutive, weak, and physically threatened Sita, looking to all intents and purposes totally helpless, gave to the king Ravana presenting himself in all his might and glory, a reply that would inspire any oppressed woman for all time, to draw deep into her inner purity and strength.
तृणमन्तरतः कृत्वा प्रत्युवाच शुचिस्मिता
"Sita, with a gentle smile, placed a blade of grass between herself and Ravana and spoke."
निवर्तय मनो मत्तः स्वजने प्रीयतां मनः "Ravana, give up this obsession with me and go and woo your own women."
न मां प्रार्थयितुं युक्तस्त्वं सिद्धिमिव पापकृत् "It is foolish to present your wicked deed and intention couched as a noble offer of affection towards me."
Sita made it clear that she was married to one in a sacred bond of fidelity.
कुलं सम्प्राप्तया पुण्यं कुले महति जातया "It is my great Punya to be born in such a great family, and married into such a glorious family too."
Sita turned her back on Ravana and continued, "how can I, a pure and faithful woman already married to another, be ever a likely bride for you?"
यथा तव तथान्येषां रक्ष्या दारा निशाचर ।
आत्मानमुपमां कृत्वा स्वेषु दारेषु रम्यताम् ॥
"Oh Rakshasa, do not your own women deserve protection from another's molestation? How can that rule not be extended to other women? Understand this simple truth, as it applies to you and your wives. Go back to them and enjoy their company."
अतुष्टं स्वेषु दारेषु चपलं चपलेन्द्रियम् ।
नयन्ति निकृतिप्रज्ञं परदाराः पराभवम् ॥
"If a man is unsatisfied with his own wives, and lusts after others' wives, he is simply coveting disaster. Those other women will only lead such an evil man to his ruin."
***
Sita says that it is astonishing that there are no good counsellors and wise men to advise Ravana on what is right and what is wrong. Or perhaps he is so hell-bent on evil and self-destruction that he sets aside all good advice. He will surely drive his entire kingdom to annihilation by his wrong acts. There are enough instances of even great cities and kingdoms ruined by such evil rulers. Lanka with its fabulous riches is headed that way, thanks to Ravana.
Sita says, "One thing is for sure. Many, many people will celebrate your destruction, Ravana, and breathe a sigh of great relief, soon."
शक्या लोभयितुं नाहमैश्वर्येण धनेन वा ।
अनन्या राघवेणाहं भास्करेण यथा प्रभा ॥
"Ravana, it should be by now clear to you that I cannot be tempted by wealth or prosperity and comfort. I can never be with anyone other than Raghava Sri Rama, just as the radiance of the sun cannot leave the sun."
Sita states how she has laid her head on the shoulder of Sri Rama, who has led a life of great Brahmacharya as a youth and has realized the truth of Vedas.
साधु रावण रामेण मां समानय दःखिताम् "Ravana, your best course is to take me back and reunite me with Sri Rama. I am distressed like a she-elephant separated from the male tusker (she-elephants have legendary fidelity).
विदितः सर्वधर्मज्ञः शरणागतवत्सलः ।
तेन मैत्री भवतु ते यदि जीवितुमिच्छसि ॥
"Ravana, if you wish to live at all, your only recourse is to go and surrender to Sri Rama, full of compassion for those who come in surrender. He is self-realized and knows all Dharmas (including punishing the wicked and forgiving the truly contrite!)."
"Ravana, become aware of what is right. Surrender to Sri Rama, return me to him, and save your life."
"One may escape the strike of Indra's vajra, or Yama's noose. But not Sri Rama's infallible arrows. They are like Garuda to the serpents. Sri Rama is like Vishnu who measured the world in three strides. "
Does not Ravana remember how he could do nothing to save Khara and his large army from annihilation from Sri Rama's arrows?
"Sri Rama and Lakshmana will come here very soon. Ravana, you were a coward who abducted me when they were away. Ravana, if you had smelt their presence, you would have behaved like a dog when smelling the close presence of a tiger. "
Sri Rama's arrows will extinguish Ravana's life like the burning sun dries up a puddle. Ravana cannot hope to hide either in the depths of the ocean or in Kubera's mount Kailasa and save himself from sure destruction from Sri Rama's arrows.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
