The Raakshasis of AshokaVana
The Immortal Bear
The Immortal Bear Valmiki describes Sita and the demonesses as “a doe separated from her own kin and surrounded by a pack of dogs/wolves.”
The raakshasis who were guarding and tormenting Sita were terrible to behold, making one’s hair stand on end, with malformed eyes and ears, teeth jutting out, excess hair, no hair, noseless, dark complexioned, angry, quarrelsome. They were constantly drinking and their limbs were smeared with the flesh and blood of whatever they were consuming.
Valmiki has described their malformed features in detail, some examples being, horizontal nose/ nose on the forehead; nose like an elephant’s trunk, faces like cows, goats, pigs, horses, camels and donkeys; ears like an animal’s/ earless ; feet like an elephant’s ; long, hanging tongues, and so on.
The raakshasis also possessed weapons made of black iron.
The coarse counsel
Raavana, running out of patience at Sita’s obstinate refusal to engage with him, instructed the raakshasis to use sweet words/ coercion/ threats to make Sita agree to be with him. This was witnessed by Hanuman who watched them all from above the ground.
One Dhanyamalini, is said to have offered herself to Raavana, trying to distract him from his obsessive desire for Sita. Raavana flung her away without as much as a glance.
The raakshasis fell upon Sita telling her what a grave sin she was committing by showing disrespect to the descendant of Pulastya.
Ekajata, described the lineage of Pulastya and the virtues of Raavana and the beauty of Sita, coaxing her to accept him. Then they collectively spoke harshly of Raama, reducing Sita to tears. Vinata, whose stomach and teeth jutted out, advised Sita to give up her human consort and to accept the powerful Raavana, followed by a threat to eat her up.
Vikata, chided Sita for clinging to her grief when she could have the world at her feet by accepting Raavana. She threatened to pluck out Sita’s heart if she did not comply.
Praghasa declared that there should be no delay in crushing Sita’s neck, and once the news of her death reached Raavana, he was sure to let them eat her up. Ajamukhi suggested that the body be chopped up to be enjoyed by all amicably, to which Shurpanakhi (not Raavana’s sister) agreed happily, adding that liquor be brought to the little party of eating up Sita.
The grieving and distressed Sita told the raakshasis spiritedly that she would never accept Raavana as her husband and they were welcome to eat her up. Dejectedly, she spoke at length of her separation from her beloved Raama, and predicting the destruction of Lanka declared that she would give up her life.
The raakshasis were angered by her talk and once again threatened to eat her up.
An augury, among the ogres
An aged raakshasi called Trijata, who was lying down, suddenly rebuked the raakshasis taken up by the idea of eating Sita. She said she had had a dream about the destruction of the raakshasas. The enraged raakshasis demanded details.
Trijata described her dream in great detail, interpreting the various omens. She had seen Raama in a chariot drawn by a thousand horses and also Raama astride an elephant with four tusks. Raama, Lakshmana and Sita were in white garments with white garlands and were resplendent. Trijata also saw Raama along with Sita in “a chariot yoked to eight white bulls. And they stationed themselves above Lanka.”
As for Raavana, he fell from the PushpakaVimaana, and was dragged away with his head shaven. He was in black garments and a red garland, moving southward on a boar entering lakes of mud and of dung. The city of Lanka was in shambles, ash covered demons were drinking oil.
Thus interpreting her dream that Raama would eventually find Sita and destroy Raavana and Lanka, she beseeched the raakshasis to be considerate to Sita. Even as Trijata spoke, Sita experienced the auspicious omens of throbbing of her left eye, left arm and left thigh.