As soon as he saw her, he made mental obeisance and observed that she had been sitting the whole night through, emaciated in body, her hair knotted up in a single braid on her head, and was repeating to herself the host of Rama’s excellences

With her eyes fixed on her own feet, she was mentally absorbed in the contemplation of Rama’s lotus feet. Hanuman, the Son of the Wind, was mightily distressed to see Sita so stricken with grief.

Hidden among the leaves of a tree, he mused within himself, ‘Come, brother, what ought I to do?’ Just at that moment Ravana arrived, with a troop of women bedecked in fine attire.

The wretch tried in every way to entire Sita, by blandishments, bribes, threats and the sowing of doubts in her mind. ‘Listen,’ said Ravana, ‘O wise and fair-faced dame! Madodari and all the other queens-

I will make your handmaids, I swear it, if you will look on me but once!’ Interposing a blade of grass between herself and Ravana and fondly fixing her thoughts on her own most loving lord of Avadh, Videha’s daughter replied,

Listen, Ten-headed! Will the lotus ever bloom in the glow of a fire-fly? Ponder this at heart,’ continued Janaka’s daughter; ‘wretch, have you no fear of Raghubira’s arrows?

Villain! You carried me off when I was alone. Do you not feel ashamed, O vile and shameless monster?’