ARANYA KANDAM

Aranya Kandam is the book of the forest. The forest life of Rama with Sita and Lakshmana, his constant companion are men tioned here . The kidnapping of Sita by the demon king Ravana also follows.

Mareecha reflected within himself, "I am doomed to be killed by Ravana or Rama. Better that I perish, pierced by Rama's soul redeeming arrow." Mareecha agreed to act as directed. His consent pleased Ravana immediately. Now both of them made their way in the flying chariot to the outskirts of Rama's hermitage, a charming spot on earth. Herds of deer used to graze round about Rama's asrama. One morning an exquisitely beautiful deer made its appearance in that locality. The wont animals smelled it and kept at a safe distance. The new creature was displaying itself in numerous ways Sita who was in the garden plucking flowers, took notice of the strangely attractive animal. She called out to Rama to come and see it. Both of them were beside themselves with joy seeing a new deer, so charmingly beautiful. Its nibbing the grass and tender leaves, its gambols and frisks, its graceful gaze and tender innocence, its multicolour and choice lustrous spots all these put together captivated the hermit couple. The thought of possessing that animal crept into their heart. Sita in particular was bent on owning it. The composed Lakshmana could see into this phenomenon in its true perspective.

"Brother this is Mareecha playing his trick," bawled out Mareecha from a distance. But the husband and wife in their excitement paid no heed to his note of warning. Sita again requested Rama to atleast chase and get hold of the golden deer. So Rama instructed Lakshmana to take care of Sita, so that he can run behind the eluding deer. Thus parted he with Sita and chased the phantom, not knowing that he was not to see her again for many a painful month. The strange and bedecked deer moved on its fantastic way. Now it lingered, now it darted hither and thither. Now it was near at hand, now again far away. It dodged and drew Rama far, far away from his first home. Fed up with following the deluding deer Rama aimed his unfailing arrow at the animal. It vanished; in its stead Mareecha fell dead after crying aloud, "Ah Sita! Ah Lakshmana!" That voice was the simulation of Rama's very voice indicating thereby that Rama was in agony and he cried aloud for help. That alarmed cry for help reached the anxious ears of Sita. She at once alerted Lakshmana and persuaded him to run to help his brother. But Lakshmana stood firm obeying the command of his brother. Now Sita requested Lakshmana to go and help Rama instead of being a guard to her, for she told him that she can sense the smell of her husband in danger. But Lakshmana was very hesitant to go leaving Sita alone. Lakshmana closed his ears with his hands and pleaded and asked her to be calm and he explained that nobody in this world can attack Rama and he is going to return safe. He also told Sita, that it looks like some tricks played by the rakshasa and it was not the voice of Sri Rama. Lakshmana conveyed to Sita that he cannot disobey his brother's command.

Sita further seethed in sorrow and anger and told Lakshmana that "Rama is perishing there and you say stay here in obedience to him. Actually you are waiting for his end. Hasten to help Rama or I shall hasten to die before him by jumping into the river Godavari. But Lakshmana sweared that he is innocent and finally decided to disobey his brother Rama and go in search of him leaving Sita alone. He also feared that some calamity is going to happen to all of them. So Lakshmana warned her to be safe and he prayed to the almighty God to take care of Sita. With a troubled heart, heavy with sorrow and anger he wended his way in the direction in which Rama went in chasing the phantom. No sooner Lakshmana left the ashrama then an ascetic made his appearance there chanting Vedas. He was drapped in saffron. A wooden bowl in his possession indicated he was a holy mendicant. Sita received him with reverence due to his rank and offered him fruits and roots. Sita did not suspect him because of his innocence. He asked why she was all alone in the demon- infested dangerous region. The guileless Sita felt nothing should be hidden from a holy man and recounted all particulars about herself, Rama and Lakshmana. She further added that if the holy man tarried, her husband would return and pay him greater homage. The seemingly holy man, loath to be long in that garb, now came out in his true colours. He introduced himself as the King of Lanka, the land of plenty and luxury. He advised Sita to abandon the fugitive Rama, the hardship of forest life and to accept the hand of the all powerful monarch of Lanka together with all the enjoyments and luxuries of life. Ravana's calculations, was that like any other woman Sita could be tempted with pleasure, power, pomp and untold wealth. And the best way to disgrace Rama was to induce Sita elope with him.


The erstwhile meek Sita now flared up like a lioness and said, "I am ever Rama's. By directing your thought on me you have paved the way for self destruction. Wretch that you are, flee from here before Rama comes and takes away your life." Ravana thought that if histemptation failed, then threat might succeed. He spoke sternly and significantly, "The celestials tremble before Ravana, the ten headed. The wind dares not blow on me. The Sun subdues his scorching rays in my presence; rivers suspend their flow; the forest foliage waves not when I come. Rama is nothing in front of me. Reject him as a scoff and join me lest you suffer untold misery." The frail woman would not be frightened by all these extraordinary powers. She stood adamant. Ravana assumed his gigantic form, lifted Sita, placed her in his flying chariot and took off. She raised alarm, cried and called out to Rama and to Lakshmana in quick succession for help and protection, but they were too far away to hear her. So help from them was out of question. She appealed to the trees and the beings in the forest to bear witness to the fate that had befallen her. She implored them to tell Rama how she been stolen away by Ravana. Jatayu, an aged vulture was living a life of retirement in that loacality. He was once the friend of the late King Dasaratha. Some time back he had introduced himself as such to Rama and offered to be of any little service to him. This Jatayu, half awake, vaguely heard the wailing of Sita and alerted himself. Finding that Ravana the valiant was stealing her away , he pounced and arrested the flight. A terrible tussle ensued in which Jatayu was ultimately maimed fatally. The helpless Sita in tears prayed to him to see that the tragedy was communicated to Rama. As she was being conveyed southward she saw five monkeys seated on a rock intently gazing at the sight up in the air. She dropped her yellow scarf and few jewels hoping that they might be taken to Rama. The devas in heaven looked at this event on earth and exclaimed, "Now Ravana's days are numbered." He carried Sita as a symbol of his own death and reached his palace in Lanka. Ravana took Sita around his magnificent palace and his exquisite pleasure gardens. He displayed his incalculable treasures of gold, silver, gems and ornaments. He who never bent his head before women now touched the feet of Sita with his ten heads and implored that he and his vast empire might be accepted by her. Sita was blind to the opulent wealth and deal to the tempting flattery. Ravana gave her time to reconcile and ordered a group of demonesses to keep her captive in the Ashoka grove. They were to adopt all possible means fair and foul to win her over to Ravana. Just in a few hours this was the plight in which circumstances had placed Sita. Now going back to Rama's bewilderment, it was only when Mareecha fell dead that he realized he was duped. Lakshmana was right in the warning he gave. The worst part of the trick was that the dying demon called out for Sita's and Lakshmana's help imitating the voice of Rama. He was therefore filled with concern about the developments in the Asrama. He hastened homeward cogitating upon several possibilities that might have happened. Presently Lakshmana made his sorrowful appearance. Rama was shocked to see him alone. "Why have you left Sita unprotected and come here?" he asked anxiously. The younger one answered in tears, "What else could I do, brother? Hearing the semblance of your voice for help, she urged me to hasten. I demonstrated no harm would take place to you. She charged I had a sinful design both on you and her. I swore I was innocent. She threatened she would die if I did not run to your rescue. So I am here."