Studies in Jainism

Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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STUDIES IN JAINISM in the cemetery near the garden of Mithilā. Janaka who was testing the soil for his intended sacrifice found this box and the child still alive in it. He gave the child the name of Sītā whom he entrusted to the care of Vasudhādevi.
Rāma went to Mithilā at the request of Janaka, who at the end of the sacrifice was very much pleased with the beauty and goodness of Rāma. He gave his daughter to him in marriage. Rāma returned to Sāketa and after sometime went with his brother Laksmana and wife Sītā to live in Vārāṇasī. Dasaratha could not bear the separation but consented with difficulty after a discourse by Rāma on the duties of Kingship. Nārada comes to Rāvana and describing to him the beauty of Sītā in glowing terms, infatuates his mind. Rāvana sent Sürpanakhi, his sister, to test the constancy of Sītā. She could not succeed in tempting her. She returned and sent her brother. Rāvana came to the garden Citrakuța near Vārāṇasī and beheld Sitā disporting herself with Rāma. By his magical power he transformed Mārica in to a golden deer (Mari-hariņa-potaka) and asked him to go and move about before Sita. Sitā wished to have the deer and so Rama pursued it. It took him a long way off. By this time Rāvana in the guise of Rāma came to Sitā and told her that the deer was secured and that they must go into the city as it was already evening. He converted his aerial car, Puşpaka, into a palanquin and himself having mounted a horse, asked Janaki to sit in it. By this trick, Rāvana was able to steal Sitā. He went with her to Lankā and told her everything. He tempted her very much but she took a vow of fasting unto death till she could hear of the welfare of Rāma.
In vain Rāma and Lakşmana searched for Sitā. They are informed of a bad dream by Daśaratha indicating danger to Sītā from Rāvana. They meet Vāli, Sugriva and Añjaneya in their wanderings. Vāli dies at the hands of Lakşmaņa. Anjaneya brings news about Sitā. Mandodari, by some unknown feeling raging in her, recognizes Sītā to be her abandoned daughter and advises Rāvaņa to give her back. War becomes inevitable. Anjaneya again goes to Lankā with a message from Rāma to Rāvana and with the idea of winning over Vibhișana to his side. He succeeds in his errand. To draw out Rāvana into the battle-field Anjaneya burns Lankā