Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/456

392 Her eyes fastened on her own feet, but with her soul absorbed in the contemplation of the feet of her lord. Hanumán was mightily distrest to see her so sad.

Concealing himself behind the branches of a tree, he mused within himself: "Come, sir, what ought I to do?" At that very moment Rávan drew near, with a troop of women in various attire. The wretch tried in every way to talk Sita over, by blandishments, bribes, threats and misrepresentations. "Hearken, fair dame," he cried, "I will make Mandodari and all my other queens your handmaids, I swear it, if you only give me one look." Síta plucked a blade of grass, and with averted face, fondly remembering her own dear lord, replied; "Hearken, Rávan: will the lotus expand at the light of a glowworm? Ponder this at heart," cried Jánaki; "Wretch, have you no fear of Ráma's shafts? Even though absent, Hari will rescue me. Shameless monster, have you no shame?

I tell you, you are but a glowworm, while the very sun is only an image of Ráma." On hearing this bold speech he drew his sword and cried in the utmost fury:

"Síta, you have outraged me; I will cut off your head with this biting blade. If you do not at once obey my words, you will lose your life, my lady." "My lord's arms, Rávan, are beautiful as a string of dark lotuses and mighty as an elephant's trunk; either they shall have my neck, or if not, then your cruel sword. Hearken, wretch, to this my solemn vow. With your gleaming scimitar put an end to my distress, and let the fiery anguish that I endure for Ráma's loss be quenched in night by the sharp blade of your sword; rid me," cried Síta, "of my burden of pain." On hearing these words he again rushed forward to kill her; but the daughter of Maya restrained him with words of admonition. He then summoned all the female demons and ordered them to go and intimidate Sita; 'if she does not mind what I say in a month's time, I will draw my sword and slay her.'

Rávan then returned to the palace, while the demonesses, assuming every kind of hideous form, proceeded to terrify Sita.