Jai Sri Ram.
Ravana's blabberings & Seeta's compassion :
Just before dawn, Ravana woke up from his sleep amidst chanting of Vedic hymns by Bards. The moment he woke up, he thought of Seeta and proceeded towards Asoka Vana, where She is kept.
The Rakshasa King, neatly dressed with ornaments all over and gleaming in the dim torch lights around with the Royal umbrella behind walked in to the park. He comes with the hope of getting her consent to marry him.
At his sight, seeta was overwhelmed by fear and grief, coiled her body with foot and hand, as though surrounded by fire on all the four sides. She sat trembling bereft of any jewels and her body without bathe was covered by dust. Yet She shone like a lotus flower fallen on dirt and the power of chastity shielded Her modesty. Hanuman sitting on a tree-branch effectively covered himself to watch the proceedings happening underneath.
Hanuman was waiting for the right moment to meet Seeta, introduce himself to hand over the Ring, with Rama's name engraved on it and instill confidence in Her that Rama will arrive to rescue Her soon.
The Rakshasis who guarded Seeta were offensively ugly. Some had only one eye, some one ear. Few were without ears and a few without noses. Some had noses turned upward. Some were bald, while some had vault like stomachs and some had camel lips. Some had hunchbacks. Some were dwarfs and some tall like palm-trees. Swine-face, tiger-face, buffalo, goat-face, all were seen. Added to that they were holding spears and other weapons in their hands. Their cruelty weighed in terms of killer of so many Rishis, destroyer of so many yajnas etc.
This is in utter contrast to the claim and calibre of Gopa-kanyas who by their beauty and glamour, leave Krishna starve for their union say for 10 days, 20 days, 1 month, several months etc.
Hanuman felt like jumping on those Rakshasis at once and finish them all. But he restrained himself to save his mission of ambassadorship from Rama.
Ravana blabbered the following to justify his solicitation to Seeta, making Her plunge in the sea of sorrow:
1. It is lawful for a Rakshasa to take another's wife, even by force but he is only begging Her.
2. His desire is that She should care him as much as he does.
3. Being beautiful, Seeta is not worthy of sorrow.
4. Giving Her consent, She will be the first among the queens and all his wealth, Kingdom and the worlds he won, be Hers to rule.
5. Rama deprived of His Kingdom is a wanderer in forest and He can not equal me, said Ravana. So pity me and love me, he pleaded.
காம ஏஷ: குரோத ஏஷ: ரஜோகுண சமுத்பவ: - So proclaims Sri Krishna in His Geeta. To extinguish fire, the fire wood need to be drawn out of hearth instead of loading further logs into it. So much so, furthering lust will not end lust.
Seeta pitying the wretched decides to give Her motherly advice, after all She is the mother of this entire Universe. All the sacred Hymns praise Her care, concern and Compassion towards all Jeevatmas, as children of a loving Mother. Acting like a bridge between the Lord and His subjects, She does the ''reformation'' on both. Swamy Pillai Lokachar candidly puts the same as follows:
பர்தாவினுடைய படுக்கையையும், பிரஜையினுடைய தொட்டிலையும்,விடாதே இருக்கும் மாதாவைப் போலே, பிரதம சரம பதங்களை விடாதே இருக்கும் இருப்பு.
இருவரையும் திருத்துவது அருளாலே.
Sri Andal in her 18th verse of Thiruppaavai - உந்து மதகளிற்றன் பாசுரம் - talks about all the Jeevas as her play-ball - பந்தார் விறலி உன்மைத்துனன் - meaning that the two vie each other to reach with compassion towards the Jeevas.
She does this while in Union as well as in Separation from Lord. She always recommends and pleads for our sake and from such a Mother will not Ravana, the condemned one, merit Her Grace?
When Ravana finished speaking, Seeta plucked a blade of grass and placed the same between them, spoke gently laughing at him :
1. Ravana, desire Me not. Turn your heart to your wives and children.
2. How can you violate Dharma and make wife of another, your own?
3. Is there none in this world to advise you what is right and by that folly Beware that you, your wealth and your race will be destroyed.
4. Listen to me and beg for forgiveness from Rama. Otherwise you will meet with death and destruction as did the Rakshasas of Janasthana, She warned.
''வம்புலாம் கூந்தல் மனைவியைத் துறந்து பிறர்பொருள் தாரம் என்று இவற்றை நம்பினார் இறந்தால் நமன்தமர் பற்றி ஏற்றிவைத்து, எரிஎழுகின்ற செம்பினால் இயன்ற பாவையைப் பாவீ தழுவு'' எனமொழிவர் so chides Thirumangai Azhvar too. So do not cast your eyes on another's wife.
The placing of the twig between them by Seeta convey several meaning, as narrated by Sri Periya Achaan Pillai, in his Thani Sloka commentary.
1. It serves as a wall between Her and Ravana, a stranger seeking Her audience.
2. Let the good words expressed act on the twig, if not on Ravana.
3. Ravana's glory worth a trash before Her own.
4. Care too hoods to the Offers Ravana made to Seeta - worth a trivial as the twig.
5. ஞாநேன ஹீந : பசுபி: ஸமாந : -- means ''not knowing the relevant diminish the human to a beast'' . So Ravana, a man by look is a beast by conduct, She implies.
6. If Rama is considered a Lion, Ravana is a Hare opposed to Him and as the Hare lives on grass, Seeta offers it to be its meal.
7. Ravana's words of death to Seeta, if She fails to oblige him means nothing to Her, as Life is worth a dried grass without Rama to Her.
8. As would Narasingha come from a boulder, So will Rama appear to finish Ravana from this grass, She placed in between.
9. As a means to swear the doomsday of Ravana, She held the grass between them.
10. As the grass is plucked with ease, Ravana's 10 heads would befall Rama's arrows, She implies.
11. The Demoniacal Guru, Sukra lost sight by Vamana's dharbai-finger-ring. Jayanthan, the evil minded son of Indra, had to cry-for-his life, when a grass served the purpose of a Brahmastra by Rama. So also the grass Seeta kept across Ravana shall act - She wants to convey.
She said these to ridicule him with a pale smile in Her lips, implying that:
1. Calling death on Seeta is laughable, as Ravana himself has walked into the Jaws of death, seizing Her.
2. This smile is born out of disgust and not out of desire for the wealth and Kingdom Ravana offered.
3. The pale-smile is due to separation from Her beloved Rama, and a discard as well to Ravana.
4. Ravana's claim for valour is laughable, as he abducted Seeta covertly, when Rama was away.
'5. ''Death is staring at his face and he speaks of valour'' - Seeta thought a while and smiled.
6. The meek shoulders of Ravana ( இளிம்பன்) - do they compare to the broad shoulders (மல்லாண்ட திண்தோள்) of Rama? - Seeta brooded and smiled.
7. Ravana's words and deeds inviting his downfall augur well to the cause of Devas, She thought and smiled.
Comparing Herself to the light and Rama to the sun, advised him further to act good, Beg Rama for forgiveness and escape His anger. As otherwise, like the tree struck by lightning, he will perish - warned She pityingly.
Will Rama accept Ravana's friendship, needs no debate because :
சக்யம் - பக்தியில் ஒரு வகை. To beseech His feet in surrender or to hold His hand in friendship or uttering ''nama:'' at His instance are one and the same way of seeking Him.
ஆத்ம ஸமசகா -- so was Guha , greeted by Rama.
வணங்கலில் அரக்கன் -- Ravana's self-esteem may not permit falling at His feet. Nonetheless, a hand-shake will suffice as the ''intent'' matters to Him than the ''act'' itself.
விதி தஸ்யஹி தர்மக்ஞ: -- He will be obliged to accept than discard, as He is called சரணாகத வத்ஸல:
எக்குற்றவாளர், எதுபிறப்பு, ஏதியல்பாக நின்றோர், அக்குற்றம், அப்பிறப்பு, அவ்வியல்வே நம்மை ஆட்கொள்ளுமே -- Disqualifications, merit no criterion for rejection in Him.
யதிவா ராவண ஸ்வயம் --
தோஷோ யத்யபி தஸ்யஸ்யாத் --
ந ஸ்மரதி அபராதானாம் -- All His words as a Purushotama, cast off aberrations if any.
One who keeps the hatred till the end is an Adama.
He who forgets the same with passage of time is a Madyama and
One who forgives the next moment is an Uttama and
our Lord is an Uttama Purusha, by thought, deeds and Nature imply so beyond doubt.
தே ந மைத்ரீ பவதி யதி ஜீவிதும் இச்சஸி -- As Seeta ended with stern warning in these words, Ravana's eyes rolled in anger and ordered the Rakshasis to bring Her around some how. ''Two more months remain for you to change. Else you will be sent to my Kitchen and cooked for my meal'', so said Ravana and left the park.
Seeta on Her part said that She can reduce him to ashes by virtue of Her chastity and yet will refrain, leaving it to be accomplished by Rama's bow.
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