SITA HARAN by Yakub Chitrakar

Rama got married and then, keeping his

promise to his father, went to the forest.

 

First Rama went, then Sita, and

then Lakshman. Lakshman broke off a branch and made an umbrella to hold over Sita.

Sita walked slowly on burning sand under the hot sun. Sita melts like butter, she cannot

walk anymore.

 

They made a house in the forest.

Rama and Sita talk, Lakshman has fun. One day, Surpanakha came in search of flowers.

Lakshman cut off her nose and ears.

Surpanakha went to her brother, the demon

Ravana, with her nose in her hand. She laid down in front of him crying. Seeing the

condition of his sister, Ravana became very angry. He called the demon Marica and

told him to take the form of a deer.

 

Sita saw a golden deer and said,

"Bring me that deer and make me happy." Rama told Lakshman, " I am going to catch

the deer because Sita has asked me to." When Rama chased the deer, it flew away.

 

When Rama killed the deer, it

cried out in Rama's voice. Sita heard this and told Lakshman to go search for his brother.

Lakshman agreed to go, but first he drew a circle and told her not to step outside of it.

 

Then Ravana [in the disguise

of a holy man] came out from behind a banyan tree and said to Sita, "Janaki-ma, give me

alms. I am afraid of this line." Sita stepped outside the circle and Ravana grabbed her and

took her away in a chariot.

 

As the chariot flew through the sky,

the bird Jatayu came and swallowed Ravana's chariot and began to fight with Ravana. Ravana

shot a special arrow and Jatayu fell to the earth. Sita cried, "Where are Sri Rama and Lakshman?"

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