After ordering the eight most fierce and powerful demons, Ravana had a sense of accomplishment within himself because of his perverse intellect.

Thinking about Vaidehi and hit by the arrows of Cupid (the god of love). Ravana hastened to see Sita and entered the beautiful home.

Ravana, lord of the demons, entered his residence and saw Sita full of grief in the midst of the demonesses.

The demon Ravana forcibly took Sita, her face full of tears, to show her his heavenlike home. Inflicted with grief she looked wretched. She resembled a female deer hounded out of the herd. With her head bent in grief, she looked pathetic like one not under her control, like a boat sinking under the sea driven by the wind.

The demon Ravana forcibly took Sita, her face full of tears, to show her his heavenlike home. Inflicted with grief she looked wretched. She resembled a female deer hounded out of the herd. With her head bent in grief, she looked pathetic like one not under her control, like a boat sinking under the sea driven by the wind.

The demon Ravana forcibly took Sita, her face full of tears, to show her his heavenlike home. Inflicted with grief she looked wretched. She resembled a female deer hounded out of the herd. With her head bent in grief, she looked pathetic like one not under her control, like a boat sinking under the sea driven by the wind.

His home was a complex of palaces and mansions served by thousands of women. It was an abode of different flocks of birds. It had captivating pillars studded with gold, crystals, silver, diamonds and vaiduryas. It resounded with wonderful sounds of drums. Its golden entrances were glittering.

His home was a complex of palaces and mansions served by thousands of women. It was an abode of different flocks of birds. It had captivating pillars studded with gold, crystals, silver, diamonds and vaiduryas. It resounded with wonderful sounds of drums. Its golden entrances were glittering.

He ascended the wonderful golden staircase taking Sita along with him.Beautiful looked the rows of mansions with silver and ivory windows and golden trellis.

He ascended the wonderful golden staircase taking Sita along with him.Beautiful looked the rows of mansions with silver and ivory windows and golden trellis.

The tenheaded Ravana showed Sita, the princess from Mithila the floors with wonderful crystals.

Ravana showed Sita who was overwhelmed with sorrow, stepwells surrrounded by various trees and tanks.

The sinful Ravana showed Sita, princess of Videha, the best of all his mansions in order to allure her, saying:

O Sita, leaving aside children and the aged, I am the lord of crores of nightrangers in addition to ten crore demons and twentytwo crore terrorists.

For me alone there are a thousand attendants.The administration of the kingdom and all my subjects will be under your control. O largeeyed Sita you are dearer to me than my life.

For me alone there are a thousand attendants.The administration of the kingdom and all my subjects will be under your control. O largeeyed Sita you are dearer to me than my life.

O Sita dear be my chief queen among the many thousands of women I have married.

Do not think otherwise. Be good and accept my request. I am consumed by thoughts of you. You should be gracious to me.

This Lanka extending to a hundred yojanas and surrounded by the sea is vulnerable to neither demons nor gods including Indra.

I do not see any one equal to me in valour among gods, or yakshas or gandharvas or birds.

Of what use is Rama who has lost his kingdom, who is depressed and leads an ascetic life and who is a shortlived, lacklustre human being.

O Sita take refuge only in me. I am a befitting husband to you. O timid one youth is impermanent. Enjoy (your life) with me while it lasts.

O lovely Sita, give up the thought of seeing Rama. Where does he possess the power to reach this place even on the mental plane ?

It is not possible to bind the wind blowing at high speed in the sky. Similarly it is not possible to catch the brilliant glow of flaming fire.

O lovely lady, I do not see any one in these three worlds who can, by his valour, take you away from me guarded by my arms.

Rule this vast kingdom of Lanka. People like me, even gods and all beings, mobile and immobile, will be at your beck and call.

Drenched with the waters of consecration, entertain me. The effect of the bad deeds done in the past are over with your dwelling in the forest. Now enjoy the fruits of your good and righteous deeds here with me.

O princess from Mithila, put on all garlands of wonderful fragrance and finest of jewels here with me.

O finehipped lady, I won by my strength from my brother Vaisravana (Kubera) an aerial chariot called Pushpaka shining with the radiance of the Sun.

O Sita that excellent chariot is big and beautiful. Where on you can roam happily along with me.

O heavyhipped lady your face which is a clean lotus pleasing to the eye has lost its shine, stricken with grief.

As Ravana went on speaking thus, Sita covered her beautiful, moonlike face with the edge of her garment and stood shedding tears.

While Sita was lost in thought, feeling ill at lase, looking wretched with her beauty dulled by her anxiety, the sinful lord of the demons continued :

O Sita you need not feel shamed that it is a violation of righteous conduct. Take it as godsend which has the approval of sages.

I am bowing down, pressing my heads at your shining feet. I am at your mercy. Grant me your favourI will remain your slave and remain ever under your control.

My throat has dried up. I have spoken these words in a forlorn state. Ravana has never bowed down to a woman in obeisance.

Having said this to the daughter of Janaka, the tenheaded Ravana who had fallen under the control of Yama, lord of death, misconceived that she had become his own. इतयार्ष श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे पञ्चपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftyfifth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.