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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 ‘It was all because I saw the most beautiful damsel on earth and thought that, you the ruler of all the three worlds should possess her. I tried to bring her here and those two humans severed my ears, nose and breasts,’ reported Surpanakha to her brother, suppressing the real reason for her plight. She knew the weakness of Ravana. It was not lust alone and it was not bloated ego alone; it was a combination of both. She paints an elaborate picture of Sita and this strange creature, even before seeing the lady for himself, falls head over heels in love with her. Was Ravana impelled more by his lust or by his ego that desired to own anything and everything on earth that is supposed to be ‘the best’ to undertake this misadventure is a matter for debate.
‘You are the only one in all the three worlds who is fit enough to possess her Ravana,’ Surpanakha fanned his lust.
‘baagaththil oruvan vaiththaan’ Lord Shiva gave half of his body to his Consort as her abode. ‘pangayaththu irundha ponnai aagaththil oruvan vaiththaan.’
Vishnu offered his bosom as the abode for his Consort, the one who resides in the lotus.
‘mEgaththil pirandha minnai vendra nuN idayinaaLai maagath thOL vIra petraal,’
And if you acquire that Sita of slender waist, that betters even the lightning ‘enganam vaiththu vaazhdhi?’ what would you offer her as her abode to reside?
Surpanakha then sets the deal with her brother. ‘You take that Sita.’
‘chitridai seethai ennum maan koNdu Udaadu nee,’ you take that doe of a woman, Sita and live happily. ‘yaan koNdu Udaadum vaNNam raamanaith tharudhi’ and remember to give that Rama to me for me to live with happily. A deal indeed!
‘Märïca is the ideal person for you to achieve your goal,’ advised his counsellors and Ravana was off the next moment in his Pushpaka
Vimana. ‘indhiyam adakki nindra maarIchan irukkai sErndhaan.’ Ravana reached the hermitage of Märïca, who had conquered the five sense organs. ‘iraavaNan eydhalOdum porundhiya bayaththan sindhai porumutru veruvugindraan.’ Märïca was startled to see Ravana at the doors of his hermitage. He became anxious and was afraid.
‘There are these two human beings who have wronged me,’ says Ravana. “Märïca dear, listen to my words (even) as I speak.
 I feel distressed and undoubtedly you are my supreme resort, afflicted as I am. You know Janasthana, where my brother Khara and the mighty-armed Düsana as well as my sister Surpanakha as also the mighty-armed Trisírä, the flesh eating ogres, and many other valiant night stalking ogres, who received encouragement (in the form of victory) in warfare, made their abode at my command, molesting ascetics who practised virtue in the great forest of Dandaka.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Canto XXXVI, Sloka 1-5)
They were doing a good job all these days, my dear uncle. And listen to me! That two-handed puny human killed all of them. Shame on us!
‘iru kai sumandhaai indhin irundhaai,’ And you, you are sitting here with mighty shoulders, so peacefully when
‘un marugar ulandhaar oruvan malaindhaan vari villaal’
your own kith and kin have been mercilessly killed by that person. ‘What are you doing here, sitting idly like those useless ascetics, when our blood is spilled all over this jungle? Come on! We have to take revenge!’
If the sister had her own way of designing a couched way of presenting her desire, the brother had his own way. He always believed in whipping up passions.
More follows...
Hari Krishnan
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