Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty seventh sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The abduction of sItA was heading to a flashpoint. On one hand rAvaNa was employing all means to make her accept him and on the other hand, the brave woman was warding off immense pressure from the ogresses and was ready to lay down her life. Her thoughts turned to why rAma had not yet come to her rescue. She had no doubt on his valor and ability to vanquish rAvaNa and the demons. She had seen better in the vanquishment of khara along with his fourteen thousand strong army that was single handedly dealt with by rAma in a fraction of a day. Yet, her affectionate thoughts also entertained the possibility of rAvaNa eliminating the duo by devious means! In any case, it was a fact that rAma had not shown any signs of rescuing her yet. With the stipulation of two more months put in by rAvaNa and the unrelenting pressure by the ogresses on her, she was feeling more certain that giving up her life was perhaps a more honorable exit for her from this misery. Her grief was not about ending her life but the fact that being a captive she had no means to execute it! Alas, the tragedy was beyond all imagination in the life of the princess. Her single-minded focus and devotion towards rAma appeared to be failing her and then something happened….
The stern and stubborn stand of sItA threw the demonesses into a rage. Slighted, some of them went to apprise rAvaNa of this. And others approached sItA once again and spoke harsh and rude words menacingly which threatened to gobble her up for being defiant and warned that it will lead to terrible consequences. Noticing sItA who was being tortured thus by the ignoble demonesses, the elderly demoness trijaTA who was lying down spoke thus –
आत्मानं खादतानार्या न सीतां भक्षयिष्यथ।
जनकस्य सुतामिष्टां स्नुषां दशरथस्य च।।5.27.5।।
“You uncouth and ignoble ones, gobble up yourself and spare sItA, the daughter of janaka and the daughter-in-law of king daSaratha. I have just had a terrible dream that causes horripilation in which I see the demons facing severe defeat and her husband emerged victorious”.
Fear struck the demonesses who were seething with anger when they heard the words of trijaTA and they earnestly inquired and implored trijaTA to tell them more about her dream and she began to narrate it in detail –
“I saw in the dream that sItA dressed up in sparkling whites was waiting on a white mountain in the middle of the ocean. Then rAghava and lakshmaNa sporting white garlands arrived in an aerial chariot yoked by a thousand swans in which there was a palanquin made of ivory. Then rAma and lakshmaNa alighted from the aerial chariot and mounted on to a four-tusked mighty and mountainous elephant. Riding on that, he went to the mountain where sItA was waiting and took her onto the elephant. She united with rAma just like illumination unites with the Sun. United with her husband and sitting in his lap, I saw sItA was caressing the Sun and the moon with her hands! Then the valiant rAghava along with sItA and lakshmaNa came to lanka in a glorious chariot drawn by eight white bulls and got onto the dazzling aerial chariot pushpaka. The best among men then flew northward along with others. Thus I saw the victorious rAma who is equal to lord vishNu in valour in the dream along with sItA and lakshmaNa. The illustrious and brilliant rAma cannot be won over by either gods or demons or by anybody else for that matter, just as the sinners cannot win the heavens.
I also saw rAvaNa on the ground. He wore a garland of karavIra flowers and was smeared in oil. He had fallen down from the pushpaka, his head shaven, wearing black clothes, with oil smeared all over him. He was sitting on a chariot yoked to donkeys and charioteered by a woman. He was drinking and laughing like he had lost his senses. He was being dragged on to the southern direction swiftly. He fell off the chariot, picked himself up, hurled expletives and was running behind it in a state of fear and hurt pride. He had only the directions for clothing, chattered like someone possessed and was thrown off into a filthy chamber that emitted foul smell and he disappeared in a trice. Then I saw him being dragged in the direction of the abode of yama by a terrifying woman clad in red and smeared with mud.
I then saw kumbhakarNa and other sons of rAvaNa with all of them smeared in oil. Then I saw that the ten-headed rAvaNa rode a boar, kumabhakarNa rode a camel and Indrajit rode a crocodile in their journey to the abode of yama.
I only saw vibhIshaNa who was standing alone, wearing a brilliant white garland, smeared with white fragrant sandal paste with a white parasol over him. He along with four other ministers got onto a four-tusked elephant and rode it among the blowing of conches and much song and dance.
The delightful city of lanka along with its chariots, elephants and horses seemed thrown into the ocean with much devastation. I saw in my dream that this lanka, protected by rAvaNa was burnt down by a messenger of rAma who was a vAnara and was tortured.
लङ्का दृष्टा मया स्वप्ने रावणेनाभिरक्षिता।।5.27.36।।
दग्धा रामस्य दूतेन वानरेण तरस्विना।
The great warriors like kumbhakarNa and other demons were flung into the pool of cow dung. So, all you demonesses, get lost from here, for rAghava will secure sItA and out of his anger will destroy all of you. He will not approve of this torture for his beloved wife who is very dear to him and who followed him to the forest. Therefore, enough of the harsh words, calm down and let us beg forgiveness of sItA, I think that is what we should do. Whichever woman who is in distress happens to see such a dream, there is no doubt that she will be freed of sorrow and great good will accrue to her. Therefore, do not hesitate, beg her pardon even though you have tortured her earlier. A great calamity is about to befall the rAkshasas from rAma.
प्रणिपातप्रसन्ना हि मैथिली जनकात्मजा।।5.27.44।।
अलमेषा परित्रातुं राक्षस्यो महतो भयात्।
This daughter of janaka, maithilI, will be pleased if you prostrate to her and protect you from fear Therefore enough of tormenting her. You cannot even find a trace of inauspicious insignia or crooked appearance in this wide-eyed beauty. I think the slight change in her complexion is on account of the grief she has undergone. She deserves the celestial joys and not grief.
अर्थसिद्धिं तु वैदेह्याः पश्याम्यहमुपस्थिताम्।।5.27.47।।
राक्षसेन्द्रविनाशं च विजयं राघवस्य च।
I see that she is going to be accomplishing her desire soon in the form of destruction of the lord of demons and the victory of rAghava. The pleasing account of this victory which I narrated now is only an indication, look at her large lotus like eye which is twitching foreboding the good that is about to happen. Her left shoulder has shook all of sudden and so has her left thigh trembled a bit as if rAghava is standing in front of her. Listen to the bird that has entered the nest and is singing sweet notes that are delightful to the heart. It is as if the bird is urging sItA to rejoice again and again”.
Listening to this heartening narration the modest sItA assured the demonesses that if indeed it turns to be as trijaTa dreamt, they will have her protection!
Here we conclude the twenty seventh 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: 5.28. With remorse come good omens
Previous: 5.26. sItA’s saddening soliloquies
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
