Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

After losing Sita, he was determined to find her again. He went to great lengths, traveling across India  with Lakshmana, Hanuman, and the armies to find where she had been taken. When they arrive in the southern tip of India, they run into Jatayu's brother Sampati, who says that Ravana has taken Sita to Lanka. When the team arrives in Lanka, Hanuman makes the risky jump in order to bring Sita back to Rama. He even encounters a Rakshasi, but defeats him and moves on in his mission to find Sita.

He looks all over Lanka and can't find her anywhere. His last resort is to take the risk to enter Ravana's home where he is sleeping among other Rakshasas, but still, Sita was nowhere to be found. He grew doubtful he would find her, but didn't want to return to Rama empty handed, and continued to roam, when he found The Ashoka Grove. He hid in a tree and watched from afar because of the Rakshasis guarding it, from which he was finally able to spot Sita!!!! The grove was beautiful but she looked miserable, as she was apart from Rama. 

Sneakily hiding in the tops of the trees, Hanuman was able to eavesdrop and hear Ravana attempting to convince Sita to ditch Rama and marry him. He tried his best, showing off his wealth, but Sita cried and cried. After many attempts, Ravana left with his other wives and left Sita in the grove with the guards. She went and sat down at the foot of the Ashoka tree, where Hanuman was hidden.

Hanuman finds a way to secrectly approach Sita, and although she does not believe him at first, he is able to assure her that he has come to rescue her. She wants so badly to leave and is filled with joy that Rama has come to save her, but does not want to touch a male that is not Rama. 

Hanuman, after being noticed by the Rakshasas, was captured. Ravana decided to light his tail on fire, but it set fires across all of Lanka. Hanuman is sad because he thinks that Sita died in the fire, but when he returns to the Ashoka tree, she is sitting at the foot, waiting for him.

Bibliography: PDE Epics, Ramayana Online: 47-55

Hanuman and Sita in Ashoka Grove- Souce: Wikimedia