As Sita was being carried away by Ravana, her voice rang out in desperation and anguish. She called upon Lakshmana, praising his mighty arms and the joy he brought to his elders, lamenting that he did not know she was being abducted by a shape-shifting rakshasa. She cried out to Rama, reminding him of his devotion to righteousness, his sacrifices of life, happiness, and wealth, and his inability to see her being taken away in such an unrighteous manner. Sita questioned why Rama, the chastiser of the unruly and scorcher of foes, did not punish such wickedness and chastise Ravana for his vile deed. She reflected that the consequences of unruly actions do not manifest immediately, just as time is needed for crops to ripen. She declared that Rama’s mind had been clouded by time, leading to this calamity, and warned Ravana that he would soon face dreadful suffering and his end at Rama’s hands. In her grief, Sita imagined Kaikeyi and her kin rejoicing at her plight, for the virtuous wife of the righteous and renowned man was now being carried away. Addressing the blooming Karnikara trees in Janasthana, she pleaded for them to quickly tell Rama that Ravana was abducting her. She saluted the Godavari river, alive with flocks of swans and cranes, beseeching it to convey her message to Rama. To the deities dwelling in the forest among various trees, she bowed and implored them to announce to her husband that she had been taken away. Sita sought refuge in all the creatures of the forest—herds of deer and flocks of birds alike—asking them to tell Rama that his beloved, dearer than life itself and helpless, was being carried off by Ravana. She expressed her faith that, knowing this, the mighty-armed and powerful Rama would bring her back, even from the grasp of Vaivasvata, by his valor. Overcome with distress and compassion, Sita, her wide eyes brimming with sorrow, spotted the vulture Jatayu perched upon a tree. Though under Ravana’s control, she gazed at Jatayu and cried out, her voice trembling with fear. She begged the noble vulture to witness her plight, as she was being carried away without protection by the cruel king of Rakshasas. She warned Jatayu that Ravana could not be stopped by him, for the rakshasa was strong, deceptive, armed, and evil-minded. Yet, she pleaded with Jatayu to tell Rama the truth about her abduction and to inform Lakshmana of everything, leaving nothing unsaid. As the story continued, Jatayu, though not fully awake, heard Sita’s cries. He quickly looked and saw Ravana carrying Sita away. Perched upon a tree, his sharp beak gleaming like a mountain peak, the illustrious king of birds spoke auspicious words to Ravana. “O Ten-headed one,” Jatayu began, “you were once steadfast in righteousness and devoted to truth. Brother, you should not now commit this blameworthy deed. I am Jatayu, the mighty king of vultures, ruler of all beings, comparable to Mahendra and Varuna. Rama, son of Dasaratha, is devoted to the welfare of all beings; this illustrious lady is the lawful wife of that lord of the world. She is Sita, of noble form, whom you wish to seize. How can a king, established in righteousness, touch another’s wife?” Jatayu continued, reminding Ravana that a king must especially protect the wives of others and urging him to turn back from the base path of coveting another’s wife. He advised that a wise man should not act in ways condemned by others, and just as one guards his own wife, so should he guard the wives of others. Whether for gain or desire, the virtuous discern the right path, even in matters not set forth in the scriptures. Jatayu spoke of the highest treasures—king, righteousness, desire, and wealth—all springing from the king, who is the source of virtue, vice, and prosperity. He questioned how Ravana, fickle and of evil nature, had attained sovereignty, likening him to a wicked man ascending a celestial car. He observed that desires are difficult to uproot, and noble conduct does not long dwell in the house of the wicked. He pointed out that Rama, mighty and righteous, had committed no offense in Ravana’s realm or city, and questioned why Ravana would wrong him. If Khara, because of Surpanakha, had come to Janasthana and was slain by blameless Rama after overstepping his bounds, Jatayu asked what transgression Rama had committed for Ravana to abduct the wife of the lord of the world. Jatayu urged Ravana to release Sita quickly, warning that her fierce gaze could burn him as Indra’s thunderbolt had burned Vritra. He cautioned that Ravana did not realize he had tied a venomous serpent in the edge of his garment, nor did he see the noose of death fastened around his neck. Jatayu advised that only burdens which do not overwhelm a man should be borne, and only food which brings no harm when digested should be eaten. He questioned what action one should perform that brings neither righteousness, nor fame, nor lasting glory, but only weariness to the body. Jatayu declared that for sixty thousand years he had rightly upheld the kingdom inherited from his fathers and grandfathers since his birth. Though old and Ravana young, armed with bow, chariot, and armor, Jatayu vowed that Ravana would not succeed in taking Sita from him and departing safely. Jatayu asserted that Ravana could not seize Sita by force while he watched, just as firm knowledge of the Vedas, grounded in reason and justice, cannot be taken away. Thus, the story flowed with Sita’s anguished pleas, her faith in Rama, and Jatayu’s noble stand against Ravana, all bearing witness to the righteousness and valor that would soon be called forth in the face of this great calamity.