Getting back to the story:
Sugriva to return the favor, sent Vanaras in search of Sita. Among them was Hanuman. He was the very ideal of strength and endurance, loyal devotion and intuitive wisdom. Since the day he saw the brothers, he had decided that they were no ordinary beings and his devotion to Rama was intense. Hanuman went south and crossed the ocean and to the city of Lanka. He searched the palace and saw Mandodari wife of Ravana, looking at her perfect beauty as she slept, thought it was Sita. Then when he saw that she slept peacefully, decided that it was not her. He moved further and saw the gigantic form of Ravana reposing majestically, but rolling with pain and anguish. Hanuman's first impulse was to wake him and fight, then decided against it as it was not his instructions. He checked his impulse and left it to Rama to wreak vengeance.
After a thousand anxieties, he saw sita in a grove of Ashoka tree! There she was surrounded by Rakshasis, like a deer in the midst of leopards, color faded from her cheeks, emaciated, and weeping as she thought of Rama and their plight. Hanuman felt it was Sita, a moment of grateful joy to see Sita alive and pure, when Ravana appeared on the scene.
Ravana had made a habit of visiting Sita constantly, to get her agree to marry him, even promised to be her slave. As Hanuman watched she rejected him again as her face burned with indignation and wifely pride. She taunted him, called him a coward as he had carried her away like a thief as he was afraid to face Rama. A very angry Ravana retorted, 'My first impulse, Sita, was to put thee to sword for daring to use such words to me. But, O my love, if I kill thee, I kill myself.' His reason why her kidnapped her; if Rama had died, as die he must, then Sita would have taken her life in grief. In any event after some threats and boasts, Ravana gave her two months to yeild, if not he would kill her!
It is thought provoking that Ravana, powerful beyond imagination, who was a terror to the three worlds, one who had hundreds of women in love with him, now tossed in bed sleepless and walked out at daybreak to plead, cajole and threaten Sita to yeild to his desires. Amazing he did not overpower Sita, he wanted her to be willing. And it was destined that he would not let her go!
If he had done so, perhaps he would have set a great example and benefitted mankind. Unfortunately he did not and in any case he was a rakshasa . But at the same time he did not harm her, only gave up his life defending his right to keep her after he had kidnapped her. We know the story, Rama had to get Sita back to save his honor and killing Ravana is said to have benefitted humankind. It was the grand plan of the supreme gods. Ravana was the prime target, Sita would have been called colateral damage today. There would be a story to tell us why Sita, who was an incarnation of goddess Lakshmi, was roped in. Anyway I am at the moment curious to see how Kambar deals with the story.
The story in fact deals with the status of women of that period. I quote from an article on the social roles of men and women, which I have linked:
In all societies the obvious biological difference between men and women is used as a justification for forcing them into different social roles which limit and shape their attitudes and behavior. That is to say, no society is content with the natural difference of sex, but each insists on adding to it a cultural difference of gender. The simple physical facts therefore always become associated with complex psychological qualities. It is not enough for a man to be male; he also has to appear masculine. A woman, in addition to being female, must also be feminine.
It is an interesting read, in conclusion:
This does not mean that, in an ideal future, all human differences will disappear. Indeed, once the old stereotypes have been discarded, the differences between individuals within each sex are likely to increase. Furthermore, under conditions of social equality, these individuals may also happily continue to play different gender roles. There should be no need to point out that there is nothing wrong with gender differences as such. They can greatly enrich our lives, as long as we understand that, in human beings, "different" does not have to mean superior or inferior. In other words, those who demand equal rights for men and women are not asking for drab uniformity, but for a social climate in which variety can flourish without being exploited.
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