Ramayanam – Sita Abducted By Ravana.

The Forest.

In a forest, unknown to the brothers, an ugly Demoness had been watching Rama and fell in love with him. She was soorphanaka. She was the sister of the mighty emperor Ravana. She approached Rama and introduced herself.

She asked Rama to leave Sita and come with her.

Things go south.

Sensing that Rama was not interested in her, the demon grew angry.

She tried to attack Sita, but Lakshmana quickly drew out his sword and cut off her ears and nose. Surpanaka crying with pain ran away into the forest to seek the help of her brothers. She asked Khara and dooshana to avenge the insult heaped on her by two humans. Khara who was infuriated on seeing the condition of his dear sister ordered his army to march against Rama. Rama fought against them, while Lakshmana stood guard near Sita. Rama destroyed the entire army and soon killed Khara and Dushane too. Surpanakha watched in horror as her brothers and their army were destroyed.

Running away.

She flew at once to Lanka to seek the protection of Ravana. Ravana was shocked to see his sister disfigured. He asked her for the cause. Surpanakha narrated everything about Rama and Lakshmana, and She also told Ravana that Sita was very beautiful. Ravana thought of a plan that would get the lovely Sita. Ravana flew in his push para vimana, He reached the home of mareecha, Tanaka’s son. He asked the demon mareecha, the master of disguise to take the form of a golden deer. Marcha, who had already been punished by Rama once refused at first. But maricha knew that either way he would be killed. He preferred to die at Rama s hands and so agreed to Ravana’s plans. Maricha turned himself into a golden deer and roamed in front of Sita’s hut. She asked Rama to catch it for her.

Hunting down.

Rama asked Lakshmana to look after Sita and he went behind the deer. The deer led him deep into the forest, always a little out of reach. At last, when Rama found it not possible to catch it alive he killed it with a sharp arrow. As the arrow hit, mareecha gained his true form and screamed in a voice imitating Rama. He called for help from Sita and Lakshmana. Ravana’s plan had worked. Thinking that some trouble had surrounded Rama, Sita insisted Lakshmana must go and help his brother. So Lakshmana decided to go. Before he left, he drew a circle around the entrance to the hut and told Sita not to cross the circle at any cost till he returned. Ravana saw how well his trick had worked. Sita was alone. He disguised himself as a hermit and approached Sita with a begging bowl. Seeing a holy man, Sita brought some food and offered it to him, standing within the line drawn by Lakshmana.

The trap.

Ravana asked her to come out of the line to make the offering. And before she realized what she was doing Ravana caught hold of her hands and placed her in his chariot. Sita screamed, but it was too late. The chariot rose into the sky and sped off to Lanka. As Ravana headed south, jatayu the great eagle saw Sita. He came swooping down on Ravana and fought with him. Ravana mercilessly cut off jatayu’s wings as he sped away like a flash of lightning on his chariot dragging Sita with him. All the efforts of Sita to escape proved vain as Ravana overpowered her. As they flew over mountains and forests, Sita took off her jewelry one by one and threw it hoping that Rama might see it. As they landed in Lanka, Ravana asked Sita to become his wife. When Sita refused him, he left her in the palace garden in the company of ugly she-demons.

Sita was scared, sad, and lonely in this strange place.

Meanwhile, in the forest of panchavati, Rama and Lakshmana realized that they had been tricked. Only through the dying eagle king jatayu did they come to know that Ravana abducted Sita. They prayed for the noble soul of jatayu who had sacrificed his own life for them.

Rama and Lakshmana now wandered in search of Sita.