Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana travels south to Panchavati and makes a living in the deep forests inhabited by beasts and demons. Prior, the trio have elapsed 10 years of exile time just before meeting sage Agasthya without many hiccups or noteworthy incidents. Sage Agasthya directs them to Panchavati and while arriving there, meets a bird Jatayu. The earlier 10 years of exile time is spent in the company of sages and slaying the demons to protect ascetics performing strict penance in the wild forests. It would have been normal has the story marched ahead similarly. But the move to Panchavati and staying there henceforth will set in motion a sequence of events which will herald the next many chapters and the successive books till Rama killed the demon king. It is many miles ahead and before reaching there let us look at how things evolved to that point. Panchavati is on the banks of river Godavari and is said to be near present day Nashik in Maharashtra. India, in its entirety is a land of mythological significance and this epic takes shape in the entire length of the nation. Let us look at how the story evolved in the southern part of the land in the next many chapters, books.
In chapter 16, on one day before the sunrise, Rama proceeds to River Godavari for daily bath along with Sita and Lakshmana. On the way looking at the nature around, Lakshmana eulogizes winter season. In doing so he casts aspersions on queen Kaikeyi, and Rama reproves it.
As time passed on, Rama with his faithful consort and devoted brother lived in great peace at Panchavati. Soon autumn bowed out to make way for winter. On a beautiful morning, as they walked towards the river Godavari, Lakshmana said, "Rama, this part of the year is very dear to you. The earth is beautiful with woods robed in russet splendor. Winds whistle through them and the chill in the air drives men to seek the warmth of fire. It is the time for harvesting crops and thanking the gods for the bounty. Kings dream of battles and battlefields, to conquer new lands and extend the horizons of their dominion. Forests slumber, shrouded in the darkness of cold frost. Riverbanks hazed in the mist hide their feathered friends, whose presence is revealed only by their cries. The northern frontiers guarded by the Himalayan peaks stand bravely, battered by the cold icy winds and violent flurries of snow. The rays of the Sun no longer sting but shed soft light. Men hide in their homes dreading the cold that renders forests bare. Like coward warriors, the waterfowl stand on riverbanks, daring not to step into the freezing water. The lotuses cringe and shrivel, as glacial winds swoop down in icy fury, from their northern frontiers. Shedding their soft petals, they stand forlorn with only their stalks bearing silent witness to their once glorious existence. Fields and groves bask in the cool splendor of the season. See how thirsty elephants pull out their trunks from icy streams unable to drink the water. Rama, think of Bharata that greatest exemplar of brotherly love. Renouncing kingdom, pomp, pleasure and plenty, he lives the life of a mendicant, practicing austerities and sleeping on the cold floor. Even at this moment he is perhaps on his way to the river Sarayu. How can he expose himself to the torment of its icy waters at this hour of night? Long armed, radiant and with eyes that compete with the beauty of lotus petals, that noble son of Dasaratha has given up every comfort to emulate your life here. Bharata disproves the theory that men conform to the nature of their mother; he has nothing of Kaikeyi in him. How can she, whose husband is the great king Dasaratha and whose son is the most virtuous Bharata be so wicked " Rama, who always upheld dharma, reproved Lakshmana, "Kaikeyi should not be belittled Lakshmana, now tell me more of Bharata. Though in exile, my heart yearns for him whose words are so sweet and so divine. When will I be united with those magnanimous brothers of mine?"
In chapter 17, Surpanakha, the problem demoness of Ramayana enters here. She approaches the cottage of Rama and offers her wifehood to Rama. She is the sister of Ravana and her husband Vidyut Jihva was murdered by Ravana alone, rendering his own sister a widow. She being an age-old demoness, wants Rama to marry her, leaving Sita off.
In the hermitage built so lovingly by Lakshmana, Rama lived with his consort in great contentment. One day, into this bliss wandered Surpanakha, sister of Ravana, lord of the rakshasas. She saw Rama who was effulgent and god like. She beheld his gloriously radiant countenance, his mighty chest like that of a lion. Long- armed and limpid eyed, he was a veritable feast to the eyes. With the majestic gait of an elephant, he was youthful, valiant and royal. With his soft skin that glowed like a blue lotus, he was as captivating as the god of love himself. The sight of that magnificent figure, which rivaled the likes of Indra, bewitched Surpanakha. She fell for the magnetic charm of Rama. The contrast between the divine and the evil was immense and striking. Rama was young, and handsome, Surpanakha was old and hideous. He was slender of waist and she coarse and thick. Rama's melodious voice was in sharp contrast to the raucous tones of the demon, just as his righteousness put her wily and sinister ways to shame. Rama's beautiful black hair was so opposed to her coppery tangles. Yet the abhorrent rakshasa woman was possessed by an unbridled desire for Rama, who was an epitome of virtue. To him she said, "Accompanied by your wife, wearing matted locks, you masquerade as an ascetic but bear arms like a Kshatriya. What brings you here, to this territory of the Rakshasas?" and Rama said, "There lived a king, Dasaratha, whose fame rivaled that of the gods. I am Rama, the first born of his sons and this is Lakshmana my brother, who follows me at all times and under all circumstances. This is my consort Sita, daughter of the king of Videha. I am here at the behest of my father and mother Kaikeyi. Bound by the commands of my parents, I live the life of an ascetic. Now tell me who you are and who your kinsmen are?"
Surpanakha said, "I am Surpanakha, a demoness who can take any form at will. All creatures live in terror of me and alone I roam these forests. Ravana, king of all the rakshasas and son of Visravas, is my brother. Kumbhakarna my other brother is strong and powerful and ever in a deep sleep. Vibhishana is also a brother of mine, but his ways are not the ways of the rakshasas. My other two brothers Khara and Dooshana are renowned for their valor. Abandoning them all for you, I have come to take you as my husband. Why do you want Sita? She is ugly and misshapen and does not befit you. Make me your wife. I will devour your brother and this woman to rid you of them. We will then roam this enchanting Dandaka with its forests and mountain peaks".
In chapter 18, Rama averts Surpanakha's advances towards him and asks her to seek Lakshmana instead. Lakshmana uses wordplay in retorting her in her own words. But she takes the apparent meaning of Lakshmana's words and rushes to eat away Seetha. Lakshmana defaces her and she noisily runs away from there, only to report to her brother Khara, a violent demon. This is the triggering situation of another round of troubles to Rama and Ramayana.
To Surpanakha, who was madly in love with him, Rama said with a smile, "Mother, I have a wife and I cherish her. For the likes of you, a rival wife would be irksome and distressing. Lakshmana my brother is noble, radiantly handsome and valiant. He is without a wife and needs one. Your beauty deserves him as your husband and you will serve him as the rays of the Sun serve the peaks of Mount Meru" Promptly forsaking Rama, Surpanakha diverted her passion towards the younger Ikshvaku prince and proposed to him, "My unequalled beauty and affection for you, lay claim to your heart. Come wander happily with me in these woods." Thus accosted, Lakshmana displayed his unrivalled skill in the play of words, "Beautiful Lady! Your skin glows like a lotus! I am but a slave! If you become my wife you will beget the same status. I am but the servant of my venerable brother and he alone is my lord. You deserve Rama, beautiful that you are, be his second wife. Enchanted by your charms, captivated by your beauty, how can he not soon tire of his mortal woman and abandon her for you?" Gross and insensitive that she was, Surpanakha missed the veiled mockery. Believing Lakshmana, she strode away to where Rama sat with his consort. She said belligerently, "Is it for this ugly woman that you slight me? This very moment I will devour her and rid myself of a rival and live happily with you". She then rushed threateningly towards Sita, who cringed with terror. What had started, as an irritating distraction was turning into a threat to reckon with! "Lakshmana, it spells ill to jest with the ignorant. Behold Sita's fear, punish this ugly embodiment of evil who has lost her sanity" said Rama, as he tried to stop Surpanakha. Ignoring his attempts to ward her off, she stormed around in vehement pursuit. Spurned by an inexorable fate, the obstinate and misguided woman made her choice thereby sealing her fate and that of her race. Lakshmana severed Surpanakha's ears and nose as penalty for her mistake. Howling with pain she fled into the forest dripping blood. Creating a furore with her thunderous voice, like that of a descending tempest, she raced to her brother Khara at Jansthana. She fell at his feet like a meteor cast to earth. Angry, humiliated and terrified she fainted, but soon recovered, to narrate her tale of woe.
In chapter 19, Surpanakha narrates her woeful story to her brother Khara incriminating Sita in particular. She wants Khara to wage a war so that she could drink Sita's blood. Khara, in order to appease his sister sends fourteen demons to eliminate Rama.
Khara was outraged at the sight of Surpanakha as she lay at his feet, with her disfigured face. "Rise", he said, "and tell me the reason for this atrocity. Who has dared to provoke a venomous snake without cause? Who in his ignorance tries to put around his neck the noose of death? Consider him already dead. Strong, powerful, able to assume any form at will and mighty as Yama that you are, who has caused you this disfigurement? Struck by my arrows, whose blood shall bathe this earth and on whose flesh will the vultures feed in delight? Neither the devatas, pisachas, gandharvas nor the rakshasas can save him." Surpanakha told Khara of what had happened. "Two men, young and handsome have arrived in Dandaka. They have beautiful eyes like the petals of the white lotus. Wearing deerskin and matted hair they live the simple life of ascetics, subsisting on forest fare. They are Rama and Lakshmana, sons of Dasaratha. Handsome as Gandharvas, they bear all signs of royalty, but I do not know whether they are men or gods. With them is a woman, slender of waist, young, beautiful and bejeweled. It is because of her that I have been reduced to this plight. I crave to drink the blood of Rama and Lakshmana, as they lie dead on the battlefield and the blood of that wretched woman. Dear brother will you help me to fulfill my wish?" Khara summoned fourteen of the fiercest rakshasas, each equal to the might of the Lord of Death. To them he commanded, "Armed, wearing bark and skin, two mortals, accompanied by a woman, have entered Dandaka. Kill them and bring their bodies. My sister desires to drink their blood". The demons rose and left like ominous rain clouds, unaware that Rama's sharp, unerring arrows would soon kill them all.
In chapter 20, the fourteen demons arrive at Rama's cottage guided by Surpanakha and they wage a war with Rama in which Rama destructs all their weaponry and eliminates them all. Seeing this defeat Surpanakha rushes back to her brother to report the defeat.
Reaching the hermitage of Rama, Surpanakha showed Sita, Rama and Lakshmana to the rakshasas. Seeing Surpanakha and the little army, Rama told Lakshmana to guard Sita, while he quickly put an end to the unwelcome visitors. Standing ready with his bow he said to the rakshasas, "We are the sons of Dasaratha, brothers, known as Rama and Lakshmana. We have arrived here with Sita to this impenetrable forest of Dandaka. Why do you torment us who live like mendicants treading the path of righteousness? At the behest of the sages, I have come here for the destruction of the likes of you and your sinful ways. Stay where you are. But flee, if you value your lives." The fourteen demons pulled out their spears saying, "For having angered our master, you shall now die. We will soon disarm you and render you lifeless." They then hurled their deadly spears, which were shattered at once by Rama's arrows. Like Indra's Vajra the arrows also snuffed out the lives of their victims. Witnessing the carnage, Surpanakha once again shrieked in fear and sprinted through the forest. Devastated, disheveled and blood smeared she reached her brother to describe in detail the death of his men.
In chapter 21, Surpanakha comes again to her brother Khara to report that all the fourteen demons sent by him are slain by Rama. She persuades him to wage a war against Rama and Lakshmana and annihilate them for they intruded into Dandaka and there is every possibility of onslaught by them on demons.
Surpanakha came back to Khara crying for help. Little did he then know that she had come back for the destruction of the entire rakshasa race. He said to her "Have I not sent mighty rakshasas to kill the enemy? Why do you wail and wriggle like a serpent while I am here to protect you? Surpanakha wiped her tears and narrated her tale of woe. "You consoled me when I lost my ears and nose. To kill Rama and Lakshmana you deployed mighty warriors, who got killed instead. As I beheld them all drop dead, I was struck with terror. I see Rama everywhere and it frightens me even more. I feel lost in an endless sorrow, do save me! "Your love for me, your grief for the slain and your courage, all combined should put an end to this threat to the rakshasas. If you cannot slay that enemy of mine, I will give up my life for I am not sure that your army can withstand Rama on the battlefield. You deem yourself a hero, but that notion exists in your conceited mind alone, if not what prevents you from killing these mere men, Rama and Lakshmana?" Surphanakha continued with her merciless tirade, "You are born to bring infamy to our race. If you have the courage and power to face Rama, kill him. Dandaka is no place for you who have little power and lesser courage. Go back to Janasthana from where you came or else Rama may put an end to you".
This concludes chapters 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of Aranya Kanda where we had seen Rama staying in peace in Panchavati till the old demoness Surpanakha came wandering. This first encounter with Surpanakha is the starting point for everything happening henceforth. The might of the Ikshvaku princess travels through the hierarchy of the demons and reaches the king in highest position soon. In these few chapters we had seen Surpanakha trying to entice the brothers, reach Sita, got her ears and nose chopped off. She complains to her brother Khara, who sent 14 strongest rakshasas in vain as all of them got slayed by Rama in no time. We will see how this irate Khara and the instigation by Surpanakha as well to start the next battle in the subsequent chapters.
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