Vivaah utsav samaapt hone ke baad, Ram, Sita aur Lakshman kai varshon tak Ayodhya mein sukh se rahe, jab tak Kaikeyi ki maangon ne unhe van mein nirvaasit nahin kar diya. Valkal vastra pehne teenon nirvaasit aashram se aashram bhatakte rahe, rishiyon ka sammaan karte aur van jeevan ke tareeke seekhte rahe. Ant mein ve Panchvati pahunche, jo phoolon wale vrikshon aur swachchh dhaaraon wala ek sundar kshetra tha, jahaan Rishi Agastya ne unhe apni patton wali kutiya banaane ki salaah di. Panchvati mein jeevan shaantipoorn aur madhur tha. Ram shikaar karte aur phal ikattha karte, Lakshman apne bhai aur bhabhi ki athak bhakti se seva karte, aur Sita apne vinamra ghar ko prem se sanbhaalteen. Van unhe doosra Ayodhya lagta tha, mahal ke shadyantron se mukt aur praakritik saundarya se bharpoor. Lekin bhaagya chupchaap ek toofaan taiyaar kar raha tha. Ek din, jab Ram kutiya ke baahar baithe the, to Shoorpanakha naam ki ek rakshasi aayi, jo Lanka ke paraakrami rakshasraaj Ravan ki behen thi. Vah van mein bhatak rahi thi jab usne Ram ko dekha, aur unki divya sundarta uske hriday mein bijli ki tarah utri. Turant usne ek sundar yuvati ka roop dhaaran kiya aur prem ke nirbheek shabdon ke saath unke paas aayi. Ram madhurta se muskuraaye aur mana kar diya. Unhone usse kaha ki vah pehle se hi apni patni Sita ke prati samarpit hain, aur sammaanit purush ek patni ke prati nishtha rakhta hai. Lekin vinodi manodasha mein unhone Lakshman ki or ishaara kiya aur sujhaav diya ki vah apne bhaagya ko unke chhote bhai ke saath aazmaaye. Is dohre tiraskaar se krodhit aur apmaanit hokar Shoorpanakha ne apna chhadm roop tyaag diya. Uska sundar roop pighal gaya, aur uska vaastavik bhayankar aakaar prakat hua, bikhre baal, ubhri aankhen aur khula munh. Krodh se jalti hui vah Sita par jhapti, chillaate hue ki vah us stree ko maar daalegi jo uski ichchha aur uske beech khadi hai. Vah dari hui Sita ki or panje phailaaye daudi. Do tez vaaron se unhone Shoorpanakha ki naak aur kaan kaat diye, use sada ke liye vikrit kar diya. Dard aur krodh se chillaati hui raktaranjit rakshasi van se hokar Lanka bhaagi, jahaan uska bhai Ravan swarn mahal se shaasan karta tha. Vah uske charnon mein giri aur chatur shabdon se uske man mein vish gholne lagi. Usne use Ram aur Lakshman ke baare mein bataya, van mein rehne wale do rajkumar, aur Sita ke saundarya ka chamakte shabdon mein varnan kiya, kaha ki koi devi ya apsara unki baraabari nahin kar sakti. Ravan ne suna, aur uske hriday mein ichchha jad jama gayi. Lekin vah jaanta tha ki Ram koi saadhaaran rajkumar nahin hai, isliye usne jaadugar Marich ki sahaayta maangi, jo uska puraana sahyogi tha. Marich ne use is paagalpan ke viruddh chetavni di, yaad dilaaya ki Ram ne ek baar use ek hi baan se samudra mein phenk diya tha. Usne Ravan se yojana tyaagne ki vinati ki, lekin Ravan ne mana karne par mrityu ki dhamki di. Apne jaadu se Marich ne sunhare hiran ka roop dhaaran kiya, chaandi jaise dhabbon aur ratn jaise seengon wala, aur Ram ki kutiya ke paas charne laga. Sita ne adbhut praani ko dekha aur mugdh ho gayeen. Unhone Ram se vinati ki ki vah use jeevit pakad laayein, ya kam se kam uski sunhari khaal laayein. Apni priya ko prasann karne ke ichchhuk Ram ne dhanush uthaya aur hiran ke peechhe ghane van mein daude. Ant mein Ram ne baan chhoda aur use maar giraaya. Marte samay Marich Ram ki hi aawaaz mein chillaaya, Sita aur Lakshman ko sahaayta ke liye pukaarte hue. Vah pukaar sunkar Sita bhay se kaanp utheen. Unhone Lakshman ko turant Ram ki sahaayta ke liye daudne ka aadesh diya. Lakshman hichkichaye, kyonki Ram ne unhe Sita ki raksha ka aadesh diya tha, aur vah jaante the ki Ram sach mein khatre mein nahin ho sakte. Lekin bhay se vikshipt Sita ne kathor shabd kahe, un par buri neeyat rakhne aur Ram ki mrityu chaahne ka aarop lagaaya. Unke anyaaypoorn shabdon se aahat hokar Lakshman anichchha se chale gaye, lekin jaane se pehle unhone kutiya ke chaaron or ek rakshaatmak rekha kheenchi aur Sita se vinati ki ki vah use paar na karein. Jaise hi dono bhai chale gaye, Ravan ne prahaar kiya. Jatadhari aur bhiksha paatra wale bhatakte saadhu ke vesh mein vah kutiya par prakat hua aur bhiksha maangi. Atithiyon ke prati sada kartavyaparaayan Sita bhojan parosne ke liye baahar aayeen. Pal bhar mein Ravan ne apna chhadm roop tyaaga, apna bhayankar das mukhon wala roop prakat kiya, Sita ko pakda aur apne udne wale rath tak ghaseeta. Van mein unki cheekhen goonjeen jab rath Lanka ki or dakshin disha mein garja, aur Ramayan ki mahaan traasdi shuru ho gayi thi.
Is katha ke paatra
- Rama
- Sita
- Lakshmana
- Surpanakha
- Ravana
- Maricha
