Rāvaṇa approaches Bhagavatī Sītā seated in Aśōkavāṭikā and begins to speak to her thus:
ēkavēnī dharāśayyā dhyānaṁ malinamambaram |
asthānē’pyupavāsaśca naitānyaupayikāni tē ||
O Sītā, A single plait, sleeping on bare ground, meditating on your husband, wearing dirty garments, fasting at inappropriate times, all these are of no use to you!
vicitrāṇi ca mālyāni candanānyagarūṇi ca |
vividhāni ca vāsāmsi divyānyābharaṇāni ca ||
mahārhāṇi ca pānāni śayanānyāsanāni ca |
gītaṁ nr̥ttaṁ ca vādyaṁ ca labha māṁ prāpya maithilī ||
O daughter of the King of Mithilā! By accepting me as your spouse, you can easily gain spectacular garlands, perfumes, agallochums, garments, best of ornaments, drinks, beds, couches, and entertainment such as song, dance, and musical instruments.
nēha paśyāmi lōkē’nyaṁ yō mē pratibalō bhavēt |
paśya mē sumahadvīryamapratidvandvamāhavē ||
In the entire world, I do not see another person who is comparable to me in valor, strength, and skills in battle.
pratikarmābhisamyuktā dākṣiṇyēna varānanē |
bhuṅkṣva bhōgānyathākāmaṁ piba bhīru ramasva ca ||
O beautiful faced one! Adorned with decorations, eat and drink according to heart’s content and enjoy all the luxuries.
yathēcchaṁ ca prayaccha tvaṁ pr̥thivīṁ vā dhanāni ca |
lalasva mayi visrabdhā dhr̥ṣṭamājñāpayasva ca ||
matprasādāllalantyāśca lalantāṁ bāndhavāstava |
buddhiṁ mamānupaśya tvaṁ śriyaṁ bhadē yaśaśca mē ||
Once you agree to sport with me, you can give away wealth and land to whoever you want according to your wish, act freely in all matters, and fearlessly pass orders. Not only shall you sport with me, so shall your friends and relatives because of you! Realize the glory of my wealth and fame!
kiṁ kariṣyasi rāmēṇa subhagē cīravāsasā |
nikṣiptavijayō rāmō gataśrīrvanagōcaraḥ ||
vratī sthaṇḍilaśayī ca śaṅkē jīvati vā na vā ||
What will you do with that Rāma clad in tattered clothing, hopeless of victory, devoid of fortune, roaming in forests, observing austerities, and sleeping on the ground? I even doubt if he is now alive or dead!
na rāmastapasā dēvi na balēna ca vikramaiḥ |
na dhanēna mayā tulyastējasā yaśasāpi vā ||
Rāma is not comparable to me in tapas, strength, might, wealth, brilliance, or fame.
piba vihara ramasva bhuṅkṣva bhōgān
dhananicayaṁ pradiśāmi mēdinīṁ ca |
mayi lala lalanē yathāsukhaṁ tvam
tvayi ca samētya lalantu bāndhavāstē ||
Drink! Roam freely and enjoy all the luxuries. I shall give you wealth and lands. Sport comfortably with your relatives.
Rāvaṇa, seeing no change in Sītā after all these offers and claims of superiority on his part, now resorts to threats.
dvau māsau rakṣitavyau mē yō’vadhistē mayā kr̥taḥ |
tataḥ śayanamārōha mama tvaṁ varavarṇinī ||
ūrdhvaṁ dvābhyāṁ tu māsābhyāṁ bhartāraṁ māmanicchatīm |
mama tvāṁ prātarāśārthamālabhantē mahānasē ||
If you do not accept me and ascend my bed in the next two months, you shall be killed in my kitchen and served as my breakfast!
Thus Rāvaṇa, a scholar in his own right, first tries to brainwash Sītā by describing his greatness and then by describing the shortcomings of her husband Rāma. When nothing works, he threatens with dire consequences. The world is filled with people who claim that the path, belief system,, etc. of the other are wrong and use tarka, kutarka, amiśa,, etc., to throw others out of their path. But like Bhagavatī Sītā, only a person firmly rooted on his path, through learning, practice,, and merit of Guru and Bhagavatkr̥pā, shall remain undaunted and ignore these claims with a claim. The Kalpasūtra says the same: agaṇanaṁ kasyāpi as also the śruti – na gaṇayētkamapi! Look at how Bhagavatī Sīta, rooted in svamata firmly, responds to Rāvaṇa!
cintayantī varārōhā patimēva pativratā |
tr̥ṇamantarataḥ kr^itvā pratyuvāca śucismitā ||
Bhagavatī Sītā, ever thinking of her husband (i.e., ever immersed in the contemplation and practice of svaśāstra), replied with a smile, after placing a blade of grass between herself and Rāvaṇa.
Bhagavatī Sītā has spoken mountains through this simple act of placing a blade of grass before her! First of all, though Rāvaṇa resorted to nindā, she does not immediately resort to the same and adheres to the policy of sarvadarśanānindā. Also, she avoids unnecessary conversation with an asura steeped in durācāra, saving herself from kaṇṭhaśōṣaṇa. And what does she indicate by placing in front of her a blade of grass? Many things!
– Sītā indicates through her action, “Rāvaṇa! You are a parapuruṣa and that too one with bad intent. There can be no open conversation between us and lōka-vyavahāra does not permit that either! Here I place a blade of grass between us that shall act as a screen”.
– Rāvaṇa! You have been boasting about your strength and valor! However, compared to the bala, vīrya, parākrama, aiśvarya, sadguṇa, kāruṇya, sadācāra, cāritra, etc., of Rāmacandra, you are merely a blade of grass! Huh!
– I myself am Mahālakṣmī, the great Goddess of wealth worshipped even by Rudra and Kubēra! The wealth and prosperity in the entire cosmos reside at my feet! Do you make the mistake of offering me wealth and lands? Your wealth is nothing more than a blade of grass to me, huh!
– You offer wealth and support to my father and bāndhavas who are filled with jñāna and vairāgya resulting out of sadācara. For them, your wealth is nothing more than a blade of grass!
– You claim of tapas and knowledge and also that you brought me here according to dharma! With this kind of parastrī vyāmōha, where is your tapas? Moreover, even rākṣasas get hold of only a kanyā, according to her will, after exhibiting their parākrama. But you abducted me, a married woman, without my consent and that too through deceit! This blade of grass is better than you in terms of tapas, dharma,, and yaśa!
– Now that you have demonstrated that you have no yuktāyukta vivēka or the power to discriminate between dharma and adharma, you are nothing more than a paśu! So, here is a blade of grass that you can chew on, take it!
– So you boast repeatedly of your valor! Have you heard about the great demon Kākāsura who was killed by my Lord śrīrāmabhadra merely through a blade of grass, which assumed the form of Brahmāstra and sent the powerful demon to the purī of Yamadharma? And the reason was that Kākāsura had bad intentions towards me. Let this blade of grass remind you of his power!
– In the days of yore, my Lord emerged as the great Nr̥simha from a pillar to protect his devotee. It is certainly possible that he will now emerge from this blade of grass to protect me, so beware!
– And finally, I am Parāśakti myself, capable of destroying you like a blade of grass, or using a blade of grass. Have you not heard of my mahimā when I manifested as Haimavatī? Remember my true form!
One can easily see that it is very easy to find inspiration everywhere to reinforce faith in svaśāstra and svaguru pāramparya and the goal of epics such as Rāmāyaṇa and Bhārata are indeed in offering assistance in this regard. There is no room for confusion when one is well-versed in svaśāstra, anuṣṭhāna and thus has attained Guru and Bhagavatkr̥pā.