Sita Places a Blade of Grass between Herself and the Firefly King
Sundara Kanda, Chaupai 9
Doha 9 · Movement 1 of 2
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Hanuman remains hidden among the leaves, considering what he should do. Ravana enters the grove surrounded by richly adorned women and tries every method upon Sita: conciliation, gifts, fear, and division. He promises that Mandodari and all his queens will become her servants if she will look toward him once.
Vaidehi places a blade of grass before herself and remembers the beloved Lord of Ayodhya. She speaks across that small boundary. Can the light of a firefly ever open a lotus? Ravana is the flicker; Rama is the sun before whom the flower of her being responds.
The ten-headed king has forgotten Raghuvira's arrows. Sita calls him foolish, wicked, shameless, and without honor for stealing her when Hari was absent. Her body is captive, but her speech stands entirely beyond his reach, sheltered behind grass and the remembered radiance of Rama.
A blade of grass is enough distance between Sita and Ravana because the sun of Rama fills her remembrance.
Read the passage from the Manas
तरु पल्लव महुँ रहा लुकाई। करइ बिचार करौं का भाई।। तेहि अवसर रावनु तहँ आवा। संग नारि बहु किएँ बनावा।। बहु बिधि खल सीतहि समुझावा। साम दान भय भेद देखावा।। कह रावनु सुनु सुमुखि सयानी। मंदोदरी आदि सब रानी।। तव अनुचरीं करउँ पन मोरा। एक बार बिलोकु मम ओरा।। तृन धरि ओट कहति बैदेही। सुमिरि अवधपति परम सनेही।। सुनु दसमुख खद्योत प्रकासा। कबहुँ कि नलिनी करइ बिकासा।। अस मन समुझु कहति जानकी। खल सुधि नहिं रघुबीर बान की।। सठ सूने हरि आनेहि मोहि। अधम निलज्ज लाज नहिं तोही।।
Hanuman remained hidden among the leaves of the tree, thinking to himself, "What should I do now, brother?" At that moment, Ravana arrived there, accompanied by many women he had brought along. The wicked one tried to persuade Sita in many ways, showing her sama, dana, bhaya, and bheda. Ravana said, "Listen, O beautiful and wise one. Mandodari and all my other queens I vow to make your servants. Just once, look favorably upon me." Holding a blade of grass before her as a shield, Vaidehi spoke, remembering her beloved Lord of Ayodhya. "Listen, ten-headed one. Can the glow of a firefly ever make a lotus bloom? Understand this clearly in your mind," said Janaki. "You fool, do you not remember the arrows of Raghuvir? Hari will come and take me away, you wretched one. Have you no shame at all?"