21. ENCOUNTERS IN EXILE (Part-2)

Rama understood her purpose. He realized that she had

only an appearance of quality, and was really cheap and

shameless. He remained silent. Whereupon, unable to

decide whether he was encouraging or discouraging, she

confirmed, "Not knowing that you were here, I was wasting

my youth and beauty in serving ascetics and sages. Now

that I have found you, my womanhood can have its own

fulfillment."

Rama felt a pity for her, and, not wanting to seem hostile,

tried to argue her out of her purpose. Overcoming his

revulsion, he said, "I am of the warrior class, you are a

brahmin, and I cannot marry you." She had an immediate

answer for this."Oh, if that is your only objection to me, then my ebbing

hopes are buoyed. Please know that my mother was of the

asura class; and for a woman of that class, union with all

castes is permissible."

Rama was still calm when he mentioned his second

objection: "I am a human, and you are of the rakshasa class;

and I cannot marry you."

Undaunted, she replied, "I humbly remind you, as I have

already mentioned, that I have no mind to remain in our

class, but am seeking the company of saints and sages; oh,

you, who look like Vishnu himself, I should no longer be

considered to belong to Ravana's family or to be his sister; I

have already told you that. If that's all your objection, then I

have hope."

Rama still felt kindly toward her, and said without irritation

or acerbity, with a touch of lightheartedness, "After all, a

bride of your class should be presented properly, when she

happens to be a sister of men of eminence such as Kubera

and Ravana. You should not be offering yourself like this in

matrimony."

"When two persons meet and inwardly have attained

union, there is no need for elders to take any formal part in

such a marriage. It's sanctioned under Gandharva rites.

Also, my brothers are hostile to ascetics, and stop at nothing

when they want to fight them; they observe no rules or

disciplines under those circumstances; you are alone andyou wear the robes of ascetics, and if they see you, nothing

can stop them from attacking you. But if they realize that we

are married like Gandharvas, they will relent, be kind to you,

and even adopt you and confer on you honours and wealth

and overlordship of several worlds … think of it."

At this Rama was amused and remarked, "Ah, is this one

way in which the fruits of my penance and sacrifices are to

be realized—achieve the grace of rakshasas, gain domestic

bliss through your company, and all the conquests thereof?"

She noted his smile, but missed the irony and was about to

say something else when she noted that there was another

woman in the picture. Sita had just emerged from the

cottage. At the sight of her, Kamavalli looked stunned. She

scrutinized the vision inch by inch and was filled with the

profoundest admiration as well as despair. If that beautiful

creature was the occupant of the cottage, there was no hope

for her. She demanded bluntly, "Who is this?" Sita's

radiance seemed to precede her actual arrival. Kamavalli

had first noticed the light and only then had she seen Sita

engulfed in that effulgence. Her jaw fell at this spectacle; for

a moment she lost herself in gazing on this pair whose

beauty complemented each other; if there was anywhere in

creation a male with the perfection of attributes, to be

matched by a perfect female, here it was. Kamavalli

momentarily forgot her own infatuation in the spell cast by the

presence of this pair. But it was only a fleeting distraction.

Her passion soon revived. She assumed that Sita too wasone who had sneaked up to Rama on some forest path and

attached herself to him. She could not be this man's wife, as

no wife would care to face the hardship of a forest existence.

He must surely have left his wife, if he had one, back at

home, and now lived with this woman in the forest.

Kamavalli said to Rama very seriously, "Great one! Don't

let this creature come near you. Don't be misled by her

appearance, it's not her own, she has assumed it through

black art. Actually she is a rakshasa woman; drive her off

before she does you any harm. This forest is full of such

deceivers."

She might well have been confessing this of herself—her

own normal appearance being that of a demon with wild,

matted hair, flame-coloured fang-like teeth, enormous

stature, and a belly swollen with the meat and blood of

animals she had gorged on in her never-ending gluttony. Her

name was Soorpanaka. Her brother Ravana had assigned

this Dandaka forest as her own domain, leaving her free to

live here as she pleased, assisted by a number of ruthless

demons led by Kara—the fiercest devil ever conceived.

Here she held her court and ravaged the forests. In the

course of her wanderings, she saw Rama and fell in love and

decided to seduce him by every art in her power. As a first

step, through certain incantations, she transformed herself

into a comely maiden. Now, when she warned Rama of

Sita's true nature as she imagined it, he began to laugh and remarked, "Ah, how true! No one can deceive you, being

yourself so transparent! Your piercing perception is truly

admirable; nothing can escape your eyes. Look well now at

this sorceress at my side, so that she may realize who she

is."

Taking him at his word, Soorpanaka glared at Sita fiercely

and shouted, "Get out! Who are you? You have no business

to disturb us, when I'm engaged in a private talk with my

lover. Be gone!" In her anger, her real tone and personality

came through unconcealed. At the sight of it, Sita shook with

fright and ran to Rama's arms and clung to him. This further

enraged Soorpanaka, who moved towards her with a

menacing gesture.