October 24 - Sarga 22 of Sundara Kanda.
Ravana threatens Sita with death for her uncomplimentary words. He gives her a 2-month ultimatum after which he plans to eat her for breakfast.
Sita, undaunted, throws several scoldings and curses at Ravana. He leaves the place in a huff.
***
Ravana does not mince his words.
यथा यथा प्रियं वक्ता परिभूतस्तथा तथा - "it is strange that more and more a man confesses his love for them, women find a way to humiliate him. Love is blind and makes much allowance for rejection. That is how my anger has been restrained like the horses by a good charioteer."
एतस्मात् कारणान्न त्वां घातयामि वरानने ।
वधार्हामवमानार्हां मित्था प्रव्रजने रताम् ॥
द्वाभ्यामूर्ध्वं तु मासाभ्यां भर्तारं मामनिच्छतीम् ।
मम त्वां प्रातराशार्थे सूदाश्छेत्स्यन्ति खड्गशः ॥
"Oh Sita, with your lovely face, for these reasons, I have not killed you. You surely deserve death and humiliation for your words and your fake asceticism in rejecting me.
"Now get this into your head. If within the next two months, you do not accept me as your husband, my cooks will be happy to cut you up and serve you for my breakfast."
The women around Ravana, who hailed from families of gods and gandharvas, shed tears as he said this. They silently signalled their sympathies to Sita.
Sita, undaunted, replied to Ravana:
"Oh, despicable Ravana, it seems no one is around you keen on your welfare as I see no one is preventing you from your blameworthy conduct. Who else in the three worlds would have coveted me, even in thought, when I am devoted to Sri Rama like Shachi to Indra?"
"Wait till you set eyes on Sri Rama. He will squash you like an elephant would a rabbit."
इमे ते नयने क्रूरे विकृते कृष्णपिङ्गले ।
क्षितौ न पतिते कस्मान्मामनार्य निरीक्षतः ॥
तस्य धर्मात्मनः पत्नीं स्नुषां दशरथस्य च ।
कथं व्याहरतो मां ते न जिह्वा पाप शिर्यति ॥
असन्देशास्तु रामस्य तपसश्चानुपालनात् ।
न त्वां कुर्मि दशग्रीव भस्म भ्समार्हतेजसा ॥
"Oh, scum, these two cruel, distorted, red-brown eyes of yours ought to have dropped off to earth for having set eyes on me. For having spoken badly to the wife of that great soul and ascetic Sri Rama, daughter-in-law of the great king Dasharatha, your tongue should have dropped off, you sinful one!
"I can reduce you to ashes in an instant by my spiritual power. But having not obtained sanction from Sri Rama, and not wanting to waste my ascetic powers, I am refraining from doing so. Oh, Ravana, don't mistake it for my weakness!"
"Fate must have wished for all this to happen, in order to bring about your end. Otherwise, why would you have come to steal another's wife, instead of facing Sri Rama in a battle, oh, brother of Kubera!?"
Ravana exuded the ultimate rage on hearing these words. Valmiki describes him as imposing and powerful with his adornments and garlands and golden necklaces and a big black rope-like waistband, and looking like Mandara mountain with Vasuki the mighty serpent wrapped around for churning the milk ocean. Valmiki says Ravana looked like the huge wish-fulfilling tree as well as a big structure erected in a crematorial ground. In other words, he was imposing and menacing.
***
Ravana says he can extinguish Sita like the sun dispels darkness at dawn. He turns to his demonesses who are guarding Sita. Valmiki again recounts their horrific, ugly appearances. Ravana tells them,
"Do what you need to do, use any trick in the book, and either by cajoling or hurting her, make Sita come to me."
***
Thi Ravana's threatening Sita and commanding the demonesses went on for some time.
Then one of Ravana's queens, Dhanyamalini, came, and embracing him, said, "why desire this trivial human, oh Lord, come, sport with me! Apparently, Brahma has not granted Sita the pleasures of your company."
Laughing at this, Ravana strode off, with his huge retinue.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
