Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty first sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Before hanumAn could think of how he can approach sItA, rAvaNa stepped in giving the plot a twist. It gave hanumAn an opportunity to see up close the kind of verbal torture that sItA was being subject to under the scanning eyes of the ogresses around her. With his mistresses all around him, rAvaNa started to tell sItA to fall in line and accept him. His talk was part pleading, part threatening and part enticing. He offered sItA the position of becoming the chief queen and boss over his entire harem and even him. He was ready to submit his entire kingdom at her feet, or so he said in desperation as she showed no signs of yielding. He also tried to woo her by trying to drive a wedge and promise the moon for her father and all her kin. rAvaNa was ready to be soundly censured. Onwards…
Having heard the pleading diktat of rAvaNa, pitiable and austere sItA, trembling and yet devotedly thinking of only her husband rAma, the chaste woman placed a blade of grass between her and rAvaNa and replied in a feeble voice speaking in a measured manner –
निवर्तय मनो मत्तः स्वजने क्रियतां मनः।।5.21.3।।
न मां प्रार्थयितुं युक्तं सुसिद्धिमिव पापकृत्।
“Withdraw your mind from me and instead be devoted to your kin. You don’t deserve to pray to me just like a sinner cannot hope for great accomplishments. I cannot do this despicable act having been born in a noble family, having wedded into a noble family and being staunchly devoted to my husband”.
Having spoken thus to rAvaNa, vaidEhI then turned her back on him and spoke profusely –
“I am the wife of another and therefore not obtainable by you as your wife. Reflect on it and stick to the dharmic path. Just like your wives deserve protection, so do the wives of others. Make an example of yourself and revel with your own wives. The one who is not satiated by his own wives and being fickle minded approaches the wives of others faces severe ignominy at their hands.
अतुष्टं स्वेषु दारेषु चपलं चलितेन्द्रियम्।।5.21.8।।
नयन्ति निकृतिप्रज्ञं परदाराः पराभवम्।
Is there no one to offer you good counsel or do they but you don’t pay heed? Your perverse intellect is devoid of good conduct. Not paying heed to the words of the discerning, you are indulging in unrighteous acts and this will bring about the destruction of the demons. The kings who indulge in such forbidden acts will have their wealth, prosperity, cities and kingdoms wiped out. On the same note, because of having you, and only because of your fault, the gem studded lanka will soon come to ruins. Everyone will welcome the ruin of a sinner and undiscerning ruler who brings about his destruction by his own misdeeds. Those who were slighted by you will surely express their glee at your fall and feel fortunate.
शक्या लोभयितुं नाहमैश्वर्येण धनेन वा।।5.21.15।।
अनन्या राघवेणाहं भास्करेण प्रभा यथा।
It is impossible to lure me by wealth or opulence. I am inseparable from rAghava like the illumination is from the Sun. Like the knowledge self-awareness is personal to a brAhmin who sticks to vows and seeks, I am the wife of and belong to that lord of the world. And having placed my head on his shoulders once, how can I even think of placing it on anyone else’s? Beware, O rAvaNa, you better unite this miserable me with rAma, like a lost she-elephant is restored to the king elephant in the forest. If you want to be alive better cultivate a favorable relation with rAma, the knower of dharma, has self-knowledge and offers refuge to those who seek it from him. If you want to retain your position, better befriend him and avoid terrible death. Restrain yourself and honorably return me to the one gracious towards those who seek his refuge. This is the only way for your redemption, else you are sure to die in his hands.
वर्जयेद्वज्रमुत्सृष्टं वर्जयेदन्तकश्चिरम्।।5.21.23।।
त्वद्विधं तु न सङ्कृद्धो लोकनाथः स राघवः।
The thunder weapon vajra or even yama may spare you for a long time but you will not be spared by rAghava whose wrath has been aroused. Soon you will hear the twang of rAma’s bow that will be as deafening as the vajra unleashed by indra. The signature arrows of rAma and lakshmaNa will soon be seizing lanka and rendering every other weapon impotent, they will get the lives of the demons in this city of lanka. He will pick you demons out as swiftly as garuDa picks out the serpents. Just as lord trivikrama (vAmana) usurped the glory and prosperity of the demons in a trice, rAma will take me away from you soon. You coward, you low-life, you were a misfit to save your demons from annihilation at the janasthAna and resorted to this despicable act to abduct me when the brothers were not around.
If you smell the presence of rAma and lakshmaNa, you will not dare to be seen by them any more than a dog wants to be seen by a pair of tigers. You stand no chance against them in battle just like the one handed Vritra stood no chance against the dexterous indra. Your life will soon be sucked out by the arrows of rAma and lakshmaNa as certainly as the waters of a shallow pool are sucked out by the Sun.
Whether you seek refuge in the hills of kubEra or in the palace of king varuNa, just like a mighty tree cannot escape the strike of the lightning, you will not be able to evade the arrows of dASarathi (rAma).
Here we conclude the twenty first sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 5.22. Admonished and spared, for now
Previous: 5.20. The ten-headed fool tempts his fate
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
