Artist : Manu Chitrakar
Transcript
Ramchandra got married.
Following his father’s instructions, he left for the fourteen-year exile.
Ram was leading the path, followed by his wife Sita.
His younger brother and the archer Lakshman followed them both.
The sun was scorching.
The sand underneath their feet was also very warm.
Sita could no longer walk.
She was almost melting away like a doll of wax.
Lakshman broke off a branch and held it over her head.
He requested Sita to walk slowly under its shade.
They all arrived at the Panchavati forest.
The brothers built a hut in that forest.
The hut was built by both Ram and Lakshman.
Ram and Sita used to while away their time playing, while Lakshman stood guard.
Surpanakha went to the forest in search of flowers.
Her nose was cut off by Sita’s brother-in-law, Lakshman.
She ran back to her kingdom, Lanka, with her mutilated nose and started wailing at her brother Ravana’s feet.
Ravana was burning with rage.
He immediately asked Marich (a conjurer) to leave for the Panchavati forest.
Marich took the form of a beautiful golden deer and allured Sita.
The moon-faced Sita, while playing dice, looked at the deer and requested Raghuvar to bring it to her.
Ram immediately started chasing the deer.
Marich ran away.
He emulated the voice of Ram and cried out for help.
Hearing Ram’s plea for help, Sita called Lakshman for help.
She gave him a betel nut and asked him to immediately rush to the forest and rescue his brother.
Lakshman drew a boundary line and asked Sita not to venture beyond the threshold.
Then, Ravana emerged from behind a banyan tree.
The moment Sita crossed the threshold to give away alms to Ravana (dressed as a beggar), the latter abducted her and brought her to Lanka.
Ram asked Jatayu to tell him where Sita was and what had happened to her.
Jatayu narrated whatever he had witnessed.
He had been fatally injured.
He fell at Ram’s feet and chanting Ram’s name, breathed his last.
Here my pata song on the Ramayana comes to an end.
My name is Manu Chitrakar and Naya is my address.