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Rama, Sita and Lakshmana
spent 13 adventurous years in the forest. During their travel, they met
Sage Atri, Sage Sarbhang and Sage Agatsya before reaching Panchavati,
where they stayed for most part of exile.
In their 14th year of exile, a demoness Surpanakha,
widowed sister of Ravana, came to Panchavati. She spotted Ram and
got infatuated by his handsome appearance. When she asked him to marry her,
Ram refused
saying that he was bound to Sita in wedlock, and asked her to approach
Laxman instead. When Lakshmana also refused her, Surpanaka flew into a
rage and rushed to kill Sita. Lakshama intervened and cut her nose off.
Bleeding and having lost her nose and ears, Surpanaka ran to her brother,
Khar-Dushan and narrated the whole incident. Khar-Dushan marched towards
Panchavati and attacked Ram. The result was no surprise: Khar-Dushan were
killed in the battle.
Shurpanakha then fled to Ravana, and told him of her insult and persuaded
him to take revenge. Ravana decided to teach thema lesson by abducting
Ram's beautiful wife Sita.
Ravana asked a demon,
Mareecha to transform himself into a golden deer and lure Sita with its
beauty. Sita was lured by the
deer and asked Ram to catch it for her. During the chase, deer took Ram
far away from his hut. Finally, Ram realized
that the deer was actually a demon who came to disguise, he killed
the deer with his arrow. Before dying Marich, who was in the form of deer, cried out for
help in Ram's voice, prompting Sita to send Laxman to help Ram.
Laxman secured Sita by
drawing a line around the hut and instructed her not to cross it under any
circumstances. When Ravan saw Sita alone, he disguised himself as a hermit
(sadhu) and asked for alms. He made Sita cross the line and kidnapped her when Rama
and Lakshmana were away. Sita realized her folly but it was too late. She
wept and lamented on her way.
Jatayu listened to her cries
and at once followed Ravana. He tried to challenge Ravana but could not
last long. Ravana severed his wings and Jatayu fell down on earth. He was
not successful in his efforts but he was happy that he fought for a right
cause with all his might.
In deep grief and despair,
Sita dropped her ornaments all the way. Ravana took Sita to Lanka and kept
her at Ashoka Vatika (garden).
When Ram saw Laxman coming,
he became worried that inspite of his instruction Laxman left Sita alone.
Laxman told Ram that it was Sita who forcibly send him to help you.
Anxiously they returned to their hut only to find Sita missing. Thus began
their long and arduous search for Sita. They saw a dying eagle, Jatayu,
who informed them that Ravana had carried off Sita to Lanka. They found
Jatayu's both wings severed. After conveying to Ram that Ravana abducted
Sita, Jatayu left his mortal body.
Search for Sita brought them
to the hermitage of Shabari. She welcomed both brothers with sweet berries
and told them to go to Pampa Lake where they would meet Sugriva. She also
told them that Sugriva would prove helpful in finding Sita.
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