Seetha
Overjoyed
Just then he saw the garden Ashokavana at a distance. 'Oh, I have not looked there',
thought Hanumantha and flew to the garden. He combed the entire garden and finally found
Seethadevi. He was in raptures. Seetha was sitting under a tree, in a soiled saree. Her
plight made Hanu- mantha both sad and angry.He perched on the tree beneath which Seetha
wasseated.
Day dawned. The rakshasa king Ravana came to see Seetha. Seetha did not wish to speak to
him directly. She held a twig in her hand and replied to Ravana's words, as if she was
speaking to the twig. Ravana
was very angry and went back. In her grief Seetha decided to kill herself.
From his perch upon the tree, Hanumantha could see
and hear everything. He now resolved to address her. But it struck him that if he talked
to her all at once,she might be frightened. So he thought of a plan. From where he
sat, he narrated the story of Rama. And he said, as if in wonder, "It seems as if
Seethadevi is here! "
Hearing a voice from above Seetha was at first
afraid, Ravana had just then left. She feared It might be a trick of the rakshasas. But
she heard the names of Rama and Lakshmana and their story. She looked up
in surprise. Hanumantha softly got down from the tree and prostrated before her. He again
said that he was Rama's messenger and praised him. Seetha was overjoyed. Hanumantha
showed her the ring which Rama had given him. The sight of the ring brought back all her
sorrow. Hanumantha comforted her with these words:"Shri Rama will surely take you
from here. Please do not worry. You need not even wait till Rama comes.If you agree
straightaway I can carry you to Rama on my back. Not only you, but the entire city of
Lanka with Ravana,I can carry on myback."
But Seetha calmed him and said: "Bring Rama and Lakshmana here." She gave him
the choodamani, a jewel she wore in her hair, so that he could show it to Shri Rama. |
