Ravana Abducts Sita, and Rama Laments

Like a lake bursting its banks, Chandranakha's frustrated passion turned into a flood of grief for her son, and her husband Kharadushana found her covered in dust, hair loose, her breasts and thighs torn by nails and bleeding, her clothes in shreds, and swore to send the culprit to the next world as a lion slays a mad elephant. She told him that she had found their son's head cut off, the bamboo thicket red with blood and the god-guarded sword taken, and that the killer had seized her hand and, when she resisted, torn her with nails and teeth, though by past merit she had saved her chastity, lamenting that this had befallen the sister of Ravana, lord of all Vidyadharas and three khandas, and the wife of Kharadushana, lord of the Daitya-clan Vidyadharas.

Kharadushana went to see his son's body and was stricken, then held council: some angry ministers urged immediate action against the killer, but a prudent one warned that whoever had won the Suryahasa was no ordinary man, so the vassals should be assembled and word sent to Ravana, and an envoy was dispatched. Yet before Ravana's reply could come, Kharadushana, consumed by hatred, declared that these wretched land-dwellers without vidyas could never cross the ocean of his Vidyadhara army, shamed those who rely on others' help, and flew off through the sky toward the Dandaka forest followed by 14,000 kings.

Hearing their war drums, Sita clung to Rama, who at first took the host filling the sky for birds of prey, then for gods going to worship in Nandishvara island, and then realised that Lakshmana must have killed a man in the bamboo thicket to win the sword and that the ‘maiden’ had been an unchaste woman who had sent her kinsmen; he looked to his bow and armour, but Lakshmana begged him to guard Sita while he faced the enemy, promising to give a lion's roar (simhanada) if hard-pressed, at which Rama should come to his aid. Armoured and armed, Lakshmana advanced alone as the Vidyadharas surrounded him like clouds around a mountain, showering shaktis, maces, discuses, spears and arrows, which he cut down while loosing the Vajradanda arrow into the sky, and heads adorned with jewelled earrings fell to earth like lotuses as he struck down warriors, elephants and horses.

Just then Ravana arrived in the Pushpaka vimana, blazing with anger at Shambuka's killer, but on the way he saw the great sati Sita sitting beside Rama, more beautiful than Rati, like Lakshmi herself, and his anger vanished in infatuation; he resolved to carry her off secretly before anyone knew he had come to join Kharadushana's army, telling himself that with his moonlike fame no blame would attach to a secret deed, and Gautama comments that no evil equals greed, and no greed equals lust for another's wife. Through the Avalokini vidya Ravana learned their names, lineage and the lion's-roar signal, and planned to raise the roar himself so that Rama would run to his brother and he could seize Sita like a bird snatching a morsel of meat, expecting Kharadushana, whose son they had killed and whose wife they had dishonoured, to slay both brothers.

Hearing the lion's roar, Rama told Sita not to fear, hid her among flowers, asked Jatayu, his friend and fellow in faith, to guard her, and ignoring many ill omens ran to stand before his brother in the battle; then Ravana, his mind aflame with desire and all sense of dharma forgotten, lifted Sita into the Pushpaka. Seeing his master's wife being carried off, Jatayu flew at Ravana in fury, tore his chest with claws and beak and ripped his garments with his wings, until Ravana, fearing that Rama would soon return, struck him down with blows of his fist, and the bird fell crying and senseless to the ground as Ravana bore Sita away toward his own city.

Sita, carried off by a stranger, wept and lamented, her heart fixed on Rama, and Ravana, seeing her devotion to her husband, reflected that such a woman was not to be killed, and that he had taken a vow before sadhus never to force himself on another man's wife who did not desire him, a vow he must keep; he resolved to win her over in time, since a chosen vidya, the rites for the next world and a desired woman are never won without effort. Gautama tells Shrenika that Ravana knew his deed was wrong, yet, mastered by desire, forgot all propriety, for death was drawing near him.

When Rama reached the battlefield, Lakshmana cried out in dismay, asking why he had left Janaki alone in a forest full of wicked beings and urging him to go back at once; seeing his brother fearless, Rama bade him conquer the mighty foe and hurried back, only to find Sita gone, and with the cry ‘Ah, Sita!’ he fell senseless to the ground. Searching, he found Jatayu writhing in agony on low ground, sat beside him, recited the Namokara mantra (the salutation to the five supreme beings) and the four aradhanas (right faith, knowledge, conduct and austerity), and gave him refuge in the Arhats, Siddhas, Sadhus and the dharma taught by the Kevalis, so that Jatayu, keeper of the lay vows, died in samadhi through Rama's grace, became a god, and will in due course attain liberation.

Though a knower of truth, Rama, overcome by attachment, fainted again and roamed from forest to forest, asking the trees whether they had seen Janaka's daughter with her champa-hued skin and lotus eyes, asking the mountain, which only echoed his words, fearing the raging river or a hungry lion had taken her, and wondering whether she had become an aryika in anger at being left; in fury he strung his bow Vajravarta, whose twang put lions to flight and stripped elephants of their musth. Then, bitterly reproaching himself that he, a follower of the Vitaraga's path, had trusted a false lion-roar, an asura's illusion, and so lost his queen, he returned to his camp, threw down his bow and sat in despair, and Gautama tells Shrenika that even great men suffer when past evil karma ripens, so one should fix the mind on the Jina's dharma.