Sita was trembling with fear and anger and begged him repeatedly to go. Lakshmana did not know what to do. At last he said, “0 Sita! Don’t you know that Rama is invincible in battle. Didn’t you see with your own eyes how he slew so many hundreds of rakshasas, singlehanded? Have you no faith in his prowess? As soon as I saw the deer I knew it must be a rakshasa and I warned Rama but he p~id no heed to me, for he wanted to please you. He will be back soon, I assure you.
The voice we heard was not his, but Maricha’s. Rama has asked me to stay by your side and guard you. I cannot disobey him, even if you entreat me. It would be very dangerous to leave you alone here at this moment. I feel that there is some danger lurking here. Rama felt it, too, that is why he made me promise to stay with you, whatever happened”.
Sita was furious with him. Her fear had made her lose all sense of proportion. All she could think was, that her Lord was in danger and this man was refusing to go to his aid. She rushed out of the ashrama and said, “If you don’t go, I will”.
Lakshmana jumped up and caught her as she was running out. For one shocked moment they looked into each other’s eyes. It was the first time in his life that he had ever touched her or even looked fully at her face. Both of them were shocked. Hurriedly he dropped his hands and begged her pardon.
Her unreasonable fear for her husband made her speak in the most unbecoming way to Lakshmana. Poor girl, driven by destiny, she spoke in a most taunting way to him.
“You are a traitor to Rama. You have followed him to the forest with some ulterior motive. Either you are a pawn of Bharata or else you have evil designs on me and you hope that if Rama dies you can have me for yourself. But let me tell you, once and for all, that I will kill myself, here and now, if you do not go immediately. I will not let you touch me”.
Lakshmana recoiled in disgust when he heard these cruel words from the gentle Sita. He stood with folded palms before her and said, “Sita, I have always looked upon you as a mother. My own mother had given me this advice when I left Ayodhya – that I should regard Rama, as my father and you, as my mother. You are like a goddess to me and I refuse to be angry with you for what you are saying. Your words are no doubt prompted by your fear for your husband. I have never heard you talk like this.
You are attributing a heinous crime to me, when I am completely innocent. I cannot bear to stand and listen to such talk. I will go after my brother but I fear that something is threatening you. Please do not force me to go”.
Behaving like a common woman, Sita beat her breast and swore to kill herself if he did not go. She berated him severely and threatened to throw herself into the river or jump into the fire. Lakshmana was in a panic. He did not know what to do.
At last with tears in his eyes he said, “All right I will go, but first I will draw this magic circle round you. Please see that you do not step out of it. As long as you remain within it, you will be safe. I go with the greatest reluctance. My brother is sure to be most displeased with me. But it looks as if I cannot please both of you at the same time”. So saying he took the tip of his bow and made an enchanted circle round her with mantras. He bowed to her and walked away with unwilling steps.
All Sita could say was, “Go, go, go!” Reluctantly and with man a backward glance, poor Lakshmana walked away from the ashram with slow, unhappy steps.
Thus ends the fifth Canto called “The Golden Deer” of the Aranya Kanda in the glorious Ramayana of the Sage Valmiki.wRamayan: Book 3: Aranya Kanda – Book Of Forest
Canto VI – The Abduction Of Sita
Lakshmana was filled with sorrow and anger at the way he had been forced to leave his post and betray Rama, but he had been unable to bear Sita’s harsh words as she knew only too well. In fact, she had repented her action in using such harsh words as soon as she had uttered them but her anxiety and fear for Rama had totally wiped out her reasoning capacity.
Ravana had been hiding close by waiting for Lakshmana to go. He was anxiously watching the proceedings between the two. There was no time to be lost. He had to capture her and leave before Rama returned. He had no desire to have a close encounter with Rama at the moment. As soon as he heard Maricha’s voice, he knew that his uncle had died but he felt no compunction at all for having sent him to his death. He had served his purpose and that was all he wanted.
He had a few anxious moments till he saw Lakshmana leave. As soon as Lakshmana left, Ravana donned the garments and make-up of an aged sannyasi. His hair was matted and he wore ochre-coloured robes and wooden sandals. He held an umbrella and a staff in one hand and a water-pot in the other and walked with eager steps towards the ashrama. Sita had gone inside and he could not afford to step inside the magic circle made by Lakshmana. So he stood outside and shouted out, “Biksham dehi” which was the normal call for alms, made by all mendicant sannyasis.
Timidly Sita came to the door of the ashrama and looked out. Ravana gave a gasp of pure delight. He was a real connoisseur of beauty and had captured many of the most beautiful women in the world for his harem but never had he come across any woman as lovely as this one. She stood framed in the doorway, eyes wide open and long black tresses falling almost to the ground. Her complexion was golden, her lips, soft and red and parted in anticipation of her Lord. She was so bewitching that Ravana could not move or speak for a few minutes. He could only stand stock still and devour her with his eyes.
He knew that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and his hunger to possess her became an urgent need. Controlling himself with the greatest difficulty, he announced his status by chanting some Vedic mantras. Ravana was a past master in the art of beguiling women but in this case he did not have to pretend anything which he did not actually feel, for Sita’s alluring looks totally captivated him. His green eyes shooting golden flames of desire he said, “0 beautiful one, who are you, who lives alone in this forest. Your dark eyes hold magic in their depths. Your form is perfectly made. I wonder what divine hands sculpted your tantalising breasts. Your face, your smile, your teeth, are all fascinating and have totally captivated me. Your waist is so slim, that I can span it with one hand. The perfume of lotuses emanates from your lovely hair. I cannot believe that you are a mere mortal. You must be Parvathi, the consort of Shiva, or Sachi, the consort of Indra. I am struck dumb by so much beauty, but tell me how it is possible that you are living alone in this dark forest. This is not a fitting place for you. You should be living in a palace with terrace and beautiful gardens. Who is the cruel one who has abandoned you in this dreadful forest, infested with rakshasas and wild beasts”.
