28. Sita's Abduction (Devotional)

      As explained in Rama's Padukas, Rama was living on Badragiri mountain along with Sita and Lakshmana. There was a small forest called Panchawati. When Rama, SIta and Lakshmana were passing by, saints who were living in Panchawati requested them to stay there as some demons like Khara were terrorising the saints. Rama agreed and stayed there so that he can kill the demons and he can fulfil the boon he gave to Badragiri also. Rama killed many demons living in the forest and torturing the people near by. One day Ravana's sister Surpanakha (Refer Story of Ravana) was passing by and got attracted to Rama who was meditating at that time. She asked Rama to marry her to which Rama replied that he promised his wife that he wont touch any other woman in this life. Rama advised Surpanakha to approach Lakshmana who has same stature as him.

      Surpanakha approached Lakshmana and asked him to accept her to which Lakshmana replied that if he marry her, she will be a servant of Sita. Surpanakha got angry and told that she will kill Sita so that she need not serve to Sita. Surpanakha was about to attack Sita. Lakshmana stopped her and cut off her ears and nose. Surpanakha ran first to her brother Khara, who had an army at his disposal. Seeing his sister’s disfigurement and feeling his position insulted as the demon lord of the forest, Khara first sent fourteen demon warriors to kill the three humans. However, Rama killed them all. So Khara gathered his army and went forth to attack. Rama killed Khara’s entire army, and his horses, chariot-driver, chariot, and bow were all destroyed. After a one-on-one battle, Khara himself was killed and Rama emerged completely victorious.

      Surpanakha then went to her elder brother Ravana and told that Rama, Lakshmana cut off her nose and ears. Ravana got so angry that he wanted to kill Rama. Surpanakha also told him that Rama had a beautiful wife who deserves to be with Ravana. So Ravana decided to teach a lesson to Rama by abducting Sita as it will be like tit for tat to his failure in Sita's Swayamvaram also. He understood that he need some help so he called his old friend Maricha for help. Maricha's mother was killed by Rama in Panchawati and Maricha himself got defeated two times by Rama after which Maricha left everything and was meditating in a cave peacefully. Ravana provoked Maricha to help him in abducting Sita. Maricha told him that Rama will kill him if he help. Ravana told him that he will kill Maricha if he didn't help. So Maricha wanted to die in good hands and agreed to help him.

      According to plan, next day Maricha showed up in the forest as a golden deer to which Sita got attracted and asked Rama to get it. Rama immediately got prepared to go after that deer. Lakshmana doubted that it might be some demon as golden deers are not real. Rama didn't fear about demons and wanted to check it out. Rama chased the deer to very long distance and finally when Rama strike an arrow to the deer, it became Maricha and screamed calling Lakshamana and Sita with Rama's voice after hearing which Sta got worried about Rama and asked Lakshmana to check. Lakshmana was so confidant that Rama was impossible to defeat. But Sita was still worried provoking Lakshmana to go after Rama. Finally Lakshmana had to go to check on Rama. Before leaving he marked a line around the hut and requested Sita not to cross it till he return which will protect Sita from any demons and went to check on Rama. At that moment Ravana approached there but couldn't cross the line so he disguised himself as a saint and begged. Sita didn't cross the line and offered food to Ravana to which Ravana acted like getting angry and asked her to cross the line. Finally when Sita crossed the line, Ravana took his real form and Sita got fainted. Ravan cut some ground with his hands on which Sita fainted and took her with out touching. Rama and Lakshmana came back to hermitage and searched for Sita all over and understood that someone abducted Sita. They started looking for her.