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1. Who was Seetaa?
2. Seetaa in Exile
3. Seetaa as Queen and in Exile Again
4. Stories About Seetaa

Whether Seetaa was touched by Raavan or not while carrying Her in his chariot - is also a much debated issue by ancient commentators. When Raavan was carrying a Shaap (curse) (see Brahmaa's Shap, and "Nal-koobar's (Kuber's son's) Shaap") on his head, that if he will lustfully touch any woman against her will that will make his head/heads to be splintered. So it is questioned how his head was not splintered when he touched Seetaa to put Her in his chariot? Maheshwar Teerth brings in Skand Puraan here, which says that: Raavan being an expert in all branches of sciences, caught Jaanakee by the shadow of her head-hair and the shadow of thighs...' 

For this Raam Tilak says yet another way of catching Seetaa, as explained for the verse at 3/49/17: "best ones, arrows, with hands..." means: "with the hands that handle the best arrows... Seetaa is caught..." here the word which usually translates as 'thighs' may be said as "feet..." means: "Raavan caught hold of her feet as the Planet Budh (the Mercury) caught the feet of his mother Star Rohinee, requesting his personal deity Goddess Lakshmee to come to Lankaa."

Catching Seetaa while she was standing is not possible in both the ways as said above. She should be in a supine position on ground to handle her from under her thighs or at the nape of the neck. Her falling on ground is not explicitly said in these verses in Aranya Kaand. But Seetaa says at verse 3:49:34, that "in a state of helplessness, I am abducted..." This word is not only "helplessness..." but also for the state of "swooning...".

She repeats the same wordings in Sundar Kaand and even in Yuddh Kaand (116/8) also, while replying Raam's accusation, in saying that "when I was 'helpless' I was touched by Raavan... fault is not mine, gods alone have fouled it...". Thus, it is assumed that Seetaa was in a short swoon when caught by Raavan. Then again, when She was rolling on ground in the same state Raavan lifted Her up by Her waist into his air-chariot.

All this discussion is to establish that Seetaa was an 'untouchable' for others, and for fear of a blemish to her Paativratya (husband-devoutness) which topic will be raised by no other than Raam, after the war. The absolute devotees of Raam or Seetaa hold Raavan's touching Seetaa, as an intolerable act. Thus, to portray that Seetaa is 'untouchable' there are many more legends woven around this topic.

One among them is Lakshman Rekha - "Lakshman's drawing a line around the hermitage, like a firewall..." When Seetaa transgressed this firewall and came out of it to offer alms to Raavan, in Braahman Sanyaasee's form, She in her fear fell down on ground, as said in Aadhyaatm Raamaayan in the verse: "then [Raavan] cleaved the earth with his nails, uplifting that clod with his hands and with a balancing act put it in the air-chariot, and quickly went away in skyway...".

Another anthology (in Tulasee's Maanas) says that Raam while going after the Golden Deer, hid the real Seetaa and placed a Maayaa Seetaa (an illusory Seetaa...) in the cottage. This deceptive Seetaa is continued until Her self-immolation after the Great War. Real Seetaa emerged out of the pyre instead of this Maayaa Seetaa. Then it is questioned, whether the bemoaning and bewailing of Raam was only for Maayaa Seetaa throughout the later part of the epic? It is then replied that this also is one among the many miraculous effects of Vishnu (Vishnu Maayaa). All this culminates into the saying of Bhagavad Geetaa: 2:41 - "the object to determine is distinct singularly, and many and unending are those who say manifold with indistinct minds....'

Nothing happens by mere touching of Seetaa, for She is a resolute lady to abide by Her husband Raam. Vaalmeeki Jee is very clear in picturing Her to be a stubborn and staunch husband-devotee, and no more mythological bends are required to prove her chastity. She herself proved this with her "Agni Pravesh" (self-immolation...) to all concerned.

Then What About Draupadee?
If Seetaa acquired a blemish by mere touch, then Draupadee should be in a more pathetic state, since she was physically handled by Dushaasan and Keechak, that too when she was in her senses. The common feature in both the cases is, some other man "touching their braids...". A woman's head's hair should not be touched by anybody even in molestation. " Raavan was predestined for self-ruin, hence touched the braid of Seetaa. And touching the braid of a lady (Draupadee), dragging her to King's court, roughly talking to her, undressing her, all these led to the destruction of one's own clan, as demonstrated in Mahaabhaarat..."

In Van Parv of Mahaabhaarat, when Draupadee goes on complaining that "I am dragged by my braid... I am dragged by my braid..." Krishn says to Draupadee: "you women always go on weeping for such tings... [having suffered in such a way], I promise that you alone will become the empress..." In the same way, Seetaa was also instrumental for the elimination of evil, called Raavan together with all his clansmen. This was as pledged by Vedvatee in an earlier incarnation of Devee Lakshmee. So as such, Seetaa had to go to Lankaa to attend that complete eradication according to mythology.

Whether it is myth or real but Seetaa was not at all a frailty to yield up that easily, nor a weak-bodied one for an easy molestation. She traveled the length and breadth of the country barefooted, that too in impenetrable forests. These ladies of lore had their Yaugik faculties with which Gaandhaaree, the mother of Duryodhan, in Mahaabhaarat, made him a diamond-bodied one, excepting his thighs [because he covered them from her eyesight by wearing a loin cloth].

Their words come true if they uttered them with certain concentration. At the time of burning the tail of Hanumaan in Sundar Kaand, Seetaa says: "seeto bhava"  means: "cool down... Let the fire on the tail of that monkey be coolant to him..." and it happened accordingly. That burning tail burnt the whole Lankaa, except some places, without any scorching effect on Hanumaan. Likewise She would have said to Raavan also "dead, you are..." but She did not say so. Raam's pledge to saints and sages to eliminate evil on earth is to be fulfilled by Raam alone.

Leaving Seetaa's untouchability or otherwise aside, since every negative act is to be solemnized, let us listen to the fruits of listening or reading of this episode, 'abduction of Seetaa...' as it involves the elimination of evil on earth, Skand Puraan says "nothing inauspicious will happen to those best people who listen this episode of Seetaa's abduction..."

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