Sītā Pahāraṇa (Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa)

Sītā Pahāraṇa is the carrying away of Sītā. The Araṇya Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, which is Tulasīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas, tells this. It tells of the chāyā-Sītā (the shadow Sītā, who was hidden in Agni), of Rāvaṇa’s own inner sense that Rāma must be divine, of Jaṭāyu’s fierce battle and his wounding, and of Sītā dropping her jewels to Sugrīva’s group on the Ṛshyamūka hill. The account runs from Mārīca’s golden deer, through Rāvaṇa’s disguise as a false sannyāsī and the abduction, to Jaṭāyu’s last battle. It ends with Sītā held in the Aśoka Vāṭikā.

The preparation: Sītā enters the fire

Before the abduction, a secret arrangement was made at Pañcavaṭī. It shapes the whole meaning of what follows. At a moment when Lakshmaṇa was away for a short while, Rāmachandra spoke to Sītā in private:

“O Suguṇavatī Sītā! I must now act as an ordinary human being and destroy the rākshasas. Until then, you must stay hidden within Agni.”

Sītā bowed at Rāma’s feet, let go of her chāyā-rūpa (shadow form) and herself entered the sacred fire. The chāyā-Sītā stayed in the āśrama where all could see her. No one knew this secret, not even Lakshmaṇa. Bhagavān Śiva tells it to Pārvatī as one of the inner secrets of the Rāmāyaṇa. It was the chāyā-Sītā, and not the real Devī Sītā, whom Rāvaṇa met and carried to Laṅkā.

The golden deer and Mārīca’s end

Rāvaṇa had forced Mārīca to serve him, under threat of death. Mārīca decided that if he had to die, it was better to die at Rāma’s hand than at Rāvaṇa’s, and that death by Rāma’s arrow would bring him liberation. He came to Pañcavaṭī as a golden deer of rare beauty. Its body was of many colours, and each hair was like a jewel.

The chāyā-Sītā was charmed by the deer and asked Rāma to catch it. Rāma understood the whole situation and knew what would unfold as part of the divine plan. He sent Lakshmaṇa to guard Sītā and went after the deer himself. The deer led him far from the āśrama through the forest.

At last Rāma shot it with a sharp arrow. As Mārīca fell, he cried out in a perfect copy of Rāma’s voice: “Hā Lakshmaṇā!” With that he breathed his last. The ṛshis who saw it praised Rāma for giving Mārīca moksha (liberation).

Sītā makes Lakshmaṇa go

In the āśrama Sītā heard the faraway cry. She was afraid and urged Lakshmaṇa: “My brother-in-law! Your elder brother is in some trouble and is calling out. Go at once and help him.”

Lakshmaṇa smiled gently and tried to calm her: “Mother! Even in a dream, danger cannot come near Prabhu Rāma. A single movement of his eyebrow creates and dissolves all the worlds. Do not be afraid.” He reasoned with her in many ways, but Sītā would not give way. Hari’s own prompting was also working through her at that moment. Her distress made Lakshmaṇa waver. Hurt by her anxious words, he placed Sītā in the care of the forest devas and the guardians of the directions, and set out towards Rāma.

Rāvaṇa comes

Rāvaṇa came to the āśrama in disguise as a false sannyāsī (a kuhana brāhmaṇa). He came like a dog that has come to steal. He talked with the chāyā-Sītā and gave many reasons for his visit, and at last he showed his desire. Sītā answered him with a mild rebuke: such talk was not proper for a sannyāsī.

Rāvaṇa then showed who he truly was and told her his name, his kingdom and his power. The chāyā-Sītā did not waver: “Villain! Wait. Prabhu Rāma is coming. Foolish one, like a rabbit that goes looking for a lion, you have come with your death near.”

Rāvaṇa saw that Sītā had no fear at all. His show of power did not move her, and she did not give way even as he stood before her. In his heart he knew a moment of recognition: this woman must be Jagajjananī, the mother of the world, herself. In his mind he bowed to her, even as his madness drove him on. He lifted the chāyā-Sītā onto his chariot and rose into the sky.

Jaṭāyu’s battle

As Rāvaṇa rose along the path through the air, the cry of the chāyā-Sītā was heard below. Jaṭāyu was the aged king of the birds and a dear friend of Daśaratha. He knew Sītā’s voice and took to the air at once. First he called out to Rāvaṇa:

“You ten-headed one! The fire of the son of Daśaratha’s anger will burn you and your whole line to ash. Hear my words: let Sītā go and go home safe!”

Rāvaṇa paid no heed to the warning. Then Jaṭāyu attacked with all his fury. With his talons he knocked Rāvaṇa’s crown to the ground. With his beak he tore the hair from Rāvaṇa’s head. With his wings he smashed Rāvaṇa’s chariot. He killed the horses and the charioteer, broke the bow and destroyed the umbrella. He battered Rāvaṇa so badly that the king of the rākshasas fell unconscious (mūrcchita).

While Rāvaṇa lay senseless, Jaṭāyu took the chāyā-Sītā and set her safely under a tree. Then he went back to renew the fight. Rāvaṇa recovered, rose in a fury and struck the aged eagle again and again. With his sharp sword Rāvaṇa cut off both of Jaṭāyu’s wings. The great bird fell to the ground, bleeding and calling “Rāma! Rāma!”

Rāvaṇa put the chāyā-Sītā back in his chariot and flew south at the speed of wind and mind.

Sītā’s jewels and the arrival at Laṅkā

As Rāvaṇa flew over the Ṛshyamūka hill, the chāyā-Sītā was crying out in grief. She saw Sugrīva and his companions. Quickly she gathered her ornaments in the end of her garment, called out “Hari! Hari!” and dropped the bundle of jewels so that it fell among the monkeys. Rāvaṇa reached Laṅkā and put her in the Aśoka Vāṭikā under guard.

In the Aśoka Vāṭikā the chāyā-Sītā stayed under the Aśoka tree. In her heart she held the last darśana (sight) of Rāma, standing with his bow, as she had seen him when he went after the golden deer. She spent her days in that meditation of viraha (separation), waiting for Prabhu Rāma to return.

Rāvaṇa’s private thoughts

The Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa also tells what was in Rāvaṇa’s mind on the night after Śūrpaṇakhā’s complaint, before the events of the abduction. Lying awake, Rāvaṇa thought:

“Among suras, asuras, humans, nāgas and yakshas, no warrior equals my own companions. Only Parameśvara himself can have the power to destroy Khara, Dūshaṇa and Triśiras. No ordinary being has such power. So this Rāma must be Parameśvara. He has taken human form to lift the burden from the Earth. Very well. If I make an enemy of him, then either I will defeat a mere human and take his wife, or I will gain moksha by falling in battle against Parameśvara. With this low body of tamas I cannot do tapas, but if I die at the hands of Parameśvara, I will reach the highest state.”

So Rāvaṇa knew in some way that Rāma was divine even as he went ahead with his plan, and he saw his own death as a road to moksha.

Sources

• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa