- This story is in the perspective of Hanuman, a Lord of Rama. He finally finds Sita. Throughout this story, Hanuman is hidden in a tree watching. He finds Sita in the Ashoka grove, guarded by rakshasis. He sees Sita and she was weak and thin, and it made it seem like she was almost unrecognizable, except for her fair, spotless skin and her jewels. He then saw Ravana, who he depicted as a rakshasa. In the story it was said that he came to Sita with a train of women, the next line went to say that they followed their heroic husband, so I am assuming that the train of women were Ravana's wives. When Sita saw Ravana, she trembled in fear. Ravana tried to woo Sita in every way possible, but Sita rejected him and forehold his death by the hands of Rama. Ravana then told her that is she did not yield to him within two months, she would be tortured and slain, leaving her to the rakshasa guards with orders to break her will. Ravana and his wives then returned to their apartment, leaving Sita with the guards who threatened her with death and torture. She then crept to the foot of the Ashoka tree where Hanuman was hidden.
- Idea: I would like to retell this story in Sita's perspective. I cannot imagine what Sita was feeling and the willpower she must have had to overcome the temptations that Ravana threw at her. She obviously loved Rama a lot and had faith that he would find her. I believe that this message would be conveyed stronger if the story was directly told by Sita. In this story, there is also Dharma. Sita knew what a wife was supposed to do. She knew that she must love and protect her husband no matter what. She upheld the ideals of marriage and through pain held up her end of the vow.
- Bibliography: Sita and Ravana from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita.
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| Ravana talking to Sita. Source: British Library |
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