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286
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
After waking up, the effulgent lord of
the Rakshasas entered, in due time, the
Asoka garden which was full of trees; he
was surrounded by choicest damsels like
the moon by stars.
 
रावणोऽयं महाबाहुरिति सञ्चिन्त्य वानरः ।
पत्रगुल्मान्तरे सक्तो हनुमान् संवृतोऽभवत् ॥
 
Thinking he must be the mighty armed
Ravana, Hanuman kept within a mass of
leaves and concealed himself.
 
सीतामसितकेशान्ताम् उपावर्तत रावणः ॥
 
Ravana approched Sita
 
with dark
 
tresses.
 
स तां पतिव्रतां दीनां निरानन्दां तपस्विनीम् ।
साकारैमधैरैर्वायैर्व्यदर्शयत रावणः ॥
 
Then Ravana, with sweet words and
gestures, revealed himself (his desire) to
Sita, chaste, miserable, joyless and living
the life of an ascetic:
 
कामये त्वां विशालाक्षि बहुमन्यस्व मां प्रिये ।
भव मैथिलि भार्या मे मोहमेनं विसर्जय ।
 
"O wide-eyed one, I love you ; O dear
one, honour me ; O Sita, become my wife;
leave this folly.