Jain Ramayana Part 3

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 23

Vibhishan
where have you been brought here? Who is your husband ? And to which noble family do you belong ?”
Sita heard the words uttered by Vibhishan in an intensely emotional manner. She was greatly overwhelmed with Vibhishan's words. She could at once realise that he was an impartial and noble person. Therefore, she said in a serious but soft tone :
"Dear sir! I am Sita, the daughter of Janak, the king of Mithila. Prince Bhamandal is my brother. Shri Ram, the mighty hero is my husband. I am the daughter-in-law of Dasharath, the renowned Emperor of Ayodhya. I came into the Dandakaranya accompanying my husband, Shri Ram and brother-in-law, Lakshman. Once while my brother-in-law, Lakshman happened to approach a grove of bamboo trees, there he noticed unexpectedy a resplendent sword hanging in the air. Out of curiosity, he clutched it and then to test its sharpness, he waved it across the bamboo trees and unknowingly, he happened to cut off the head of someone who was there lost in meditation. Then, he realised what he had done. He was filled with great grief and repentance. Looking at the sword steaming with blood, he thought, “Oh! What an enormity have I committed! I have killed some innocent person." Greatly grieved and agitated by this unhappy occurrence, he at once returned to his elder brother. Shri Ram and informed him of the occurrence. Even while he was speaking to Shri Ram, some woman came following him raging with anger obviously intending to ask him why he had killed the man in the bamboo grove.
But as soon as she saw my husband she became infatuated with him. At once, there appeared a great change in her. Her indignation disappeared. She assumed the form of a heavenly damsel of unexampled beauty; fell at the feet of my husband and begged for a union with him. She was deeply agitated with passion. My husband rejected her advances and reprimanded her. Incensed by this, she went away but soon the entire Dandakaranya began teeming with demons. My brother-in-law set off to fight against the demons. Just then, this ignoble man (pointing towards Ravan) separated me from my lord by