Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty fourth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The aSOka grove was a busy place since the morning. Before dawn, rAvaNa came tried to lure and got a reprimand and ultimatum from sItA and in turn strictly stipulated two months for sItA to say yes to him. He ordered the ogresses who were keeping vigil on her to ensure that she says yes. Just when he got a bad reprimand and was livid with rage, one of his wives provided a face saver and took him away to the mansion. sItA, although she put a bold face and stung back, was upset and the ogresses around her began to step up the pressure. They sang the glory of rAvaNa, his great lineage, his opulence, his lifestyle and thundered that she should accept him gladly without a second thought. They were suggesting what was not acceptable to her at all and went on and on, brow beating and hurting her with their sharp words. Onwards…
The crooked and hideous ogresses converged on sItA and began tormenting her with unsavory and harsh words – “O sItA, do you not like to live in the inner chambers with delightful luxuries? Accept rAvaNa who lords over the wealth of the three worlds as your husband and travel the worlds with him. O flawless beauty, you being a woman, seem to think you should only covet a man, rAma. He is unaccomplished, debarred from the kingdom and distressed. You better withdraw your mind from him or you may not even survive”.
The eyes of sItA who has beautiful lotus like eyes were filled with tears at these words and said –
यदिदं लोकविद्विष्टमुदाहरथ सङ्गताः।
नैतन्मनसि वाक्यं मे किल्बिषं प्रतिभाति वः।।5.24.7।।
“This proposition that is made by you all in unison is in fact deplorable by the world which doesn’t appeal to me and in fact it appears sinful to me. A woman ought not be the wife of a demon. You may well swallow me but I will not budge and accept your proposal.
दीनो वा राज्यहीनो वा यो मे भर्ता स मे गुरुः।
तं नित्यमनुरक्तास्मि यथा सूर्यं सुवर्चला।।5.24.9।।
Whether he is pauper or without kingdom, my husband is my lord. I am ever devoted to him like suvarchalA is to sUrya (chhAyA and suvarchalA are the consorts of sUrya).
यथा शची महाभागा शक्रं समुपतिष्ठति।
अरुन्धती वसिष्ठं च रोहिणी शशिनं यथा।।5.24.10।।
लोपामुद्रा यथागस्त्यं सुकन्या च्यवनं यथा।
सावित्री सत्यवन्तं च कपिलं श्रीमती यथा।।5.24.11।।
सौदासं मदयन्तीव केशिनी सगरं यथा।
नैषधं दमयन्तीव भैमी पतिमनुव्रता।।5.24.12।।
तथाऽहमिक्ष्वाकुवरं रामं पतिमनुव्रता।
Like the honourable sachI belongs to indra, arundhatI belongs to vasisTha, rOhiNI belongs to chandra, lOpamudrA belongs to agastya, sukanyA belongs to chyavana, sAvitrI belongs to satyavAn, SrImatI belongs to kapila, madayantI belongs to saudAsa, kESinI belongs to sagara, bhIma’s daughter damayantI belongs to naishadha (nala), in the same manner I belong to the lord of the ikshvAku clan, rAma and am his staunch follower”.
All the while, withdrawn into the thick foliage of the SimSupa tree, hanumAn silently heard the tormenting words that the demonesses subjected sItA to.
The ogresses lost their wits in anger upon hearing the rejoinder of sItA. They began to torment her with harsh and hurtful words up on the orders of rAvaNa. They took their axes in hand, smacked their lips and angrily yelled at her saying she doesn’t deserve to be rAvaNa’s wife. The beautiful sItA, threatened thus by the menacing demonesses trembling and with eyes full of tears went near the SImSupa tree. Converging upon the wailing beauty near the SimSupa tree, they continued the torture. One among them by name vinatA with a sagging belly and dark complexion said –
“O sItA! Enough of the display of affection for your husband until now. Excess of anything leads to difficulties. Agreed, you have followed the virtues of human beings and I am impressed. Listen to my good counsel as well which you should put into action. Accept as your lord, the lord of all demons rAvaNa like dEvI swAha accepted agnI and dEvI sachI accepted indra. The demon king is gorgeous, courageous, handsome, magnanimous, charitable and pleasing to behold! Accept him and with all luxuries become the queen of everyone. Give up the miserly rAma and accept rAvaNa and if you don’t do that, we shall swallow you this very moment”.
Then another demoness vikaTA with sagging breasts put up her fists and menacingly yelled at sItA –
“You wicked woman, we have put up with too much of your speech out of compassion and a soft corner for you. You are not heeding to timely advice that we are giving you. Know that, you have been brought across the ocean and are a captive in the inner chambers of rAvaNa and invigilated by us. Not even indra can access this place. Listen to the good counsel offered by us good Samaritans. Enough of this shedding of tears, give up this grief that will lead you to ruin, cheer up, bid good bye to this melancholy and sport with the king of the demons. You timid woman, I am sure you are aware that the youth of the women doesn’t last long, and while it lasts, make good use of it and enjoy your life. Roam the delightful gardens with the demon king. You will boss over seven thousand women of rAvaNa, o beauty, if you accept him as your lord. If you don’t pay heed to my advice, we shall right now pluck to your heart and swallow it”.
Then a demoness by name chanDodarI seething with anger and swirling the spear in her hand roared and said – “Ever since rAvaNa abducted this lady with beautiful eyes and bosom beating to the stress of her breath, I have been nursing a great desire to feast on her liver, spleen, heart and intestine! Let’s do that in my opinion”.
Then an ogress by name praghasA said – “let’s choke the throat of this heartless woman, why delay, and then report to rAvaNa that she has died. If you report thus, there is no doubt that he will ask us to eat her off”.
Then a demoness by name ajAmukhI said – “I don’t like conflicts. Let’s chop her into pieces and distribute the mean equally among all of us. Come on, bring a variety of drinks and other slurpy food to enjoy it with”. Then an ogress named sUrpanakhA concurred with the proposal of ajAmukhI and said – “bring wine at once that destroys all sorrows and uplifts the spirits. We shall devour meat and swing in nikumbhilA dance”.
Tortured thus by the gigantic demonesses, sItA who shone like the daughter of the gods, lost all her courage and wailed piteously.
Here we conclude the twenty fourth 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: 5.25. Her pining for rAma peaks
Previous: 5.23. Ogresses step up pressure
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 