Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

 Ramayana

Bibliography: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana Part C by Laura Gibbs

Hanuman finally finds Sita. When he finds her he finds out that she is planning to end her life, "I will use the braid of my hair to hand myself" she said thinking no one was around. Right as she is about to commit the act, Hanuman speaks out to her from the Ashoka tree he was hiding in. He tells her of the story about Rama's exile and how he was sent there to find her, "I am Rama's messenger for you". Sita was hesitant, thinking maybe this was Ravana in disguise, but Hanuman quickly showed her Rama's signet ring that was engraved with his name as a way to convince her to come with him. However, she denied, "let Rama free me. You must bring Rama to me here". After this, Sita handed Hanuman her jeweled hairpin. She tells him to take it to her and remind him of the time a crow was attacking her and he had to fire a missile that took out its eye. This part of the story was the 121 through 125 passage. I found this section of the part interesting. 

Benjakai

Another part I found interesting was the 140th passage. Laskshmana and Rama find a body floating in the water tangled in seaweed. They come to recognize that the body is Sita. However, Hanuman was suspicious of this and set the body of fire. As the body was on fire a corpse rose up and was shrieking. Long story short, it was not Sita, but an evil sorceress in Ravana's palace named Benjakai. After this she then fled into the ocean.