SECTION XLVII.
"Being thus addressed by Rāvana under the guise of a mendicant, desirous of carrying her away Vaidehi thought within herself—"This person is my guest and a Bhahmin; he may curse me if I do not speak to him." Thinking this for a moment Sitā said "May good betide thee! I am the daughter of the high-souled Janaka, the king of Mithilā, the beloved Queen of Rāma and my name is Sitā. Dwelling in the palace of Ikshakus for twelve years, I enjoyed many things passing human and had all my desires satisfied. On the thirteenth year king (Daçaratha) counselled with his ministers about the installation of Rāma. Accordingly everything necessary for the installation being made ready, Kaikeyi, one of my mothers-in-law, begged of her husband a boon. Bringing my father-in-law under control by means of her virtuous deeds, Kaikeyi begged, of that truthful, best of monarchs, two boons namely the exile of my husband into the woods and the installation of Bharata, and said "I shall never eat, drink or sleep and (if Rāma be installed) I shall end my life." Kaikeyi speaking thus, that lord of earth, my father-in-law begged her to accept diverse riches; but Kaikeyi did not agree. Then the highly effulgent Rāma, my husband was twenty-five years old, and myself was eighteen years old counting from my birth. My husband is known all over the world under the name of Rāma. He is truthful, good-natured, of pure character, ever engaged in the welfare of all created beings, of mighty-arms and expansive eyes. Our father the king Daçaratha was entirely under the control of passions, and hence for the satisfaction of Kaikeyi did not install Rāma. When Rāma came to his father for being installed Kaikeyi spoke unto my husband the following cruel words, "Do thou hear, O Rāghava, how I have been ordered by thy Sire. This kingdom, rid of thorns is to be conferred on Bharata, and thou shalt have to sojourn into woods for years nine and five. Do thou therefore repair unto forest, O Kākuthstha and save thy Sire from untruth." Whereto Rāma fearlessly replied 'So be it!' Hearing her words my husband of firm vows acted accordingly. He always maketh gifts and taketh none. He always speaketh truth and never telleth an untruth. This is his best observance, O Brahmana. His half-brother named Lakshmana is of mighty prowess. That best of men is Rāma's help and the destroyer of foes in battle. That brother of his named Lakshmana is of firm resolution and given to asceticism. With a bow in hand he hath followed (Rāma) flying as an exile unto woods along with me. Thus that one (Rāma) of firm resolution and ever engaged in pious offices wearing matted hair and assuming the semblance of an ascetic hath entered this forest of Dandaka along with myself and his younger brother. O thou the best of twice-born ones, we three being deprived of our kingdom by Kaikeyi have been living in this dense forest by virtue of our effulgence. Do thou take heart for a moment and live here. Instantly shall my husband return with good many wild fruits and roots and with sufficient meat after killing many a deer, hog and Gosamp. Truly do thou relate unto me thy name, Gotra and lineage. O thou twice-born one, why dost thou range alone in this forest of Dandaka?" Sitā the wife of Rāma speaking thus, the mighty Lord of Rākshasas—Rāvana replied with these harsh words—"0 Sitā I am that Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, whom fear the celestials, Asuras and human beings. O thou of blamless beauty, seeing thee of golden hue and wearing silk cloth I do not relish my own wives. I have brought many a beautiful damsel from various quarters, do thou become my foremost Queen amongst them. That great city in the midst of the ocean, Lankā, encircled on all sides by the sea and situated on the summit of a hill, is my capital. There shalt thou with me, Sitā, walk in gardens, and thus thou shall no more long for living in the forest. If thou dost become my wife, O Sitā, five thousand maid-servants decorated with divers ornaments shall serve thee." That blameless daughter of Janaka, being thus addressed by Rāvana, was highly enraged, and, passing by him, replied, "I am a dependant ot Rāma, who is incapable of being shaken, like unto a mighty mountain, incapable of being agitated, like unto a vast ocean, and resembling Mahendra in effulgence. I am a dependant of that great and truthful Rāma who is gifted with auspicious marks and like unto a fig tree. I am dependant of that lion among men, Rāma, of mighty arms, of a spacious breast and treading like a lion, I am a dependant of that son of a king, Rāma, of mighty arms, having control over his passions, whose face resembles the full moon and whose fame hath spread far and wide over the earth. Why dost thou being a tiger wish for a she-lion? Thou shalt not be able to touch me like unto the rays of the sun. O thou wretched Rākshasa, when thou hast desired to steal away Rāghava's beloved spouse, surely dost thou see these trees (before thee) as made of gold. Dost thou wish to uproot the teeth from the mouth of a lion, that enemy of deer, or from that of a serpent? Dost thou wish to clasp with thy hands the Mandara hill, or dost thou wish to walk in peace after drinking poison? Dost thou wish to rub thy eyes with pins and lick a razor with thy tongue? Thou dost wish to swim across an ocean, having a rock tied unto thy neck. Thou dost wish to get at the Sun and Moon, to bind a flaming fire with a piece of cloth and walk through iron-spikes, as thou hast wished to come by the worthy spouse of Rāma. Mighty is the difference between Rāma and thee, like unto that between a lion and a jackal, a sea and a rivulet, nectar and gruel, gold and iron, sandal and mud, an elephant and a cat, a crow and Garuda, a peacock and a madgie (an acquatic bird), or a duck and a vulture. Even if thou dost steal me, that mighty archer Rāma, gifted with the prowess of the lord of celestials, living, surely shall I die, like unto a gnat sucking clarified butter." Addressing those words unto that wicked ranger of the night, that innocent (Sitā) shook like a plantain tree shaken by the wind. Thereupon Rāvana, like unto Death in prowess, trembling, began to relate unto her with a view to frighten (her) his race, power, name and actions.