Description
Ravan abducting Sita disguised as a Sage:
When Lord Ram leaves for the forest to find the golden deer for Sita, Lakshman as per the promise that was given to his brother, starts guarding the cottage.
When Rama was about to hit the deer with an arrow, Mareech, in the form of the deer cried out. He shouted imitating Rama’s voice and said, “O Lakshman!’’. On hearing this cry, Sita persuaded Lakshman to go to help Rama. Lakshmana tried to explain to her that Lord Ram cannot be threatened by anyone and that must be a trick but on much persuasion, he drew a ‘Lakshman Rekha’( a protection line drawn by Lakshman) outside the hut and asked Sita not to cross it and left to find Lord Rama. While she was alone in the ashram, Ravana took the disguise of a Sage and appeared in front of the hut. He called for food and said he was hungry. Sita tried to give the Sadhu the alms while staying inside the line drawn by Lakshman but Ravana who was a Sage insisted that she must come out and give the food as accepting food like that would be an insult of the Sage. As soon as Sita crossed the ‘Lakshman Rekha’, Ravana was able to lift her and took her away on his aerial chariot towards the South direction.