Maya Sita story
This passage, retold in Caitanya caritamrta 2.9.200-212, appears in Kurma Purana 2.34.111-140: (translation: Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology series by Motilal Banarsidass, based on Venkatesvara Press edition)
111. A chaste woman devoted to piety (dharma) shall always attain welfare and happiness. No man can, by any means, create discomfiture for her.
112. Just as in the case of Sita,1 well-known in the three worlds, as the charming and beloved wife of Rama, the son of Dasaratha, she conquered the king of Raksasas.
113. Urged by Kala (Death), Ravana, the king of Raksasas, desired Sita, the wide-eyed beautiful wife of Rama.
114. It is reported that by means of his Maya, he disguised himself (as) an ascetic and determined to abduct that beautiful lady while she was strolling (solitarily) in the tenantless forest.
115. The lady of pure smiles realised his intention. Remembering her husband, the son of Dasaratha, she sought refuge in the Avasathya (household) fire.
116. With her palms joined in devotion, Rama's wife worshipped the great Yogi (the fire-god), the destroyer (scorcher) of the worlds, as if he was her husband Rama incarnate (and prayed):
Eulogy of the Fire-god.
117. I bow unto Krsanu (fire) of the form of Kala, of great Yogic power, the greatest riddle, the destroyer of all living beings.
118. I take shelter in lord Pavaka (the purifying deity), the eternal deity of universal forms, the Yogin who wears the (elephant) hide, the lord of the goblins, the Supreme god.
119. I resort unto the Atman of radiant blazing body abiding in the hearts of all living beings. I seek refuge in the Lord whose form is the universe, the source of all that fiery, brilliant. I resort to the fire-god, the Lord of great Yogins, the sun, the supreme god.
1. VV.111-140 tell us a different story of the abduction of Sita than the one given by Valmiki. According to KP. real Sita was protected by Agni (the fire-god) the Avasathya (Household sacrificial) Fire and it was the illusory Sita) created by Agni that was abducted by Ravana. The Chaya-sita entered the fire for 'purification' and real Sita came out of the Fire-god and was accepted by Rama.
120. I seek refuge in Rudra, the great swallower (destroyer), the trident-bearing Lord, the fire of the Universal destruction, the Lord of Yogins, the dispenser of fruits (in the form) of enjoyment and liberation.
121. I resort unto you the diverse-eyed deity with the forms of Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah}, one who is lying hidden in the golden abode, the great one of unmeasured splendour.
122. I resort to Vaisvanara abiding in all living beings, the lord who conveys Havyas and Kavyas (i.e. offerings) (to gods and Pitrs). I resort to Lord Vahni.
123. I resort to that Supreme reality, the excellent and auspicious principle of the sun. I resort to the Agni ascending to heaven, the greatest splendour, the imperishable conveyor of oblations to gods.
124. After repeating (the prayer in) these eight (?) verses on Vahni, the famous wife of Rama mentally meditated on Rama and remained silent with her eyes closed.
125. Then out of the Avasathya (household) fire, Lord Mahesvara (the great god), the bearer of sacrificial oblations, of resplendent soul manifested himself as if burning with his own refulgence.
126. Desirous of getting Ravana killed he created an illusory Sita. Taking the real Sita, the beloved of Rama, the fire-god vanished there.
127. On seeing such a Sita (i.e. the illusory one) Ravana the lord of Raksasas, took her and went to Lanka, situated within the ocean.
128. After killing Ravana, Rama took Sita and (came back) accompanied by Laksmana. His mind became agitated due to suspicion.
129. For convincing the living beings, the illusory Sita entered the fire; immediately she was consumed by the fire.
130. After burning the illusory Sita, the lord fire-god of hot rays, showed the real Sita to Rama. The fire-god (the purifier) became a beloved of Devas.
131. Catching hold of the feet of her husband, the daughter of Janaka, the lady of beautiful middle, made obeisance to Rama on the ground.
132. On seeing it Rama was delighted in mind. Surprise was evident in his eyes. After bowing to Vahni with bent head, Raghava propitiated him.
133. The Lord spoke to Vahni: Was this fair-complexioned lady burned by you before, as she has been seen come to my side again?
134. Lord Fire-god, the scorcher of the worlds, spoke to the son of Dasaratha, telling him everything as it had happened in the presence of all living beings.
135. "This beloved of yours is highly chaste as goddess Parvati. She is the greatest favourite of the goddess whom she had propitiated by means of penance (?)
136. This chaste lady of good conduct is endowed with the readiness to serve her husband like Bhavani in regard to Isvara. She was protected by me because she was desired by Ravana.
137. But Sita who was abducted by the lord of Raksasas was the illusory Sita created by me with a desire to get Ravana killed.
138. On that account, Ravana, the wicked king of the Raksasas and the destroyer of the worlds, had been killed. The Maya has also been withdrawn.
139. "Accept this pure Janaki at my instance. See Lord Narayana your own self, the source of origin and the place of everything".
140. After saying this, the fierce lord fire-god whose flames spread everywhere and who had faces on all sides was duly honoured by Raghava and the other people and he vanished.It is chapter 2.33 in both Maharishi University of Management Devanagari-only edition (p. 432-435) and transliterated edition by University of Goettingen GRETIL project (part 1, part 2, not proofread; contains some errors, e.g. in verse 129 - masAdAyAbhavat x samAdAyAbhavat in M.U.M. ed.):
pativratA dharmaratA rudrANyeva na saMzayaH /
nAsyAH parAbhavaM kartuM zaknotIha janaH kvacit // KUrmP_2,33.111 //
yathA rAmasya subhagA sItA trailokyavizrutA /
patnI dAzaratherdevI vijigye rAkSasezvaram // KUrmP_2,33.112 //
rAmasya bhAryAM vimalAM rAvaNo rAkSasezvaraH /
sItAM vizAlanayanAM cakame kAlacoditaH // KUrmP_2,33.113 //
gRhItvA mAyayA veSaM carantIM vijane vane /
samAhartuM matiM cakre tApasaH kila kAminIm // KUrmP_2,33.114 //
vijSAya sA ca tadbhAvaM smRtvA dAzarathiM patim /
jagAma zaraNaM vahnimAvasathyaM zucismitA // KUrmP_2,33.115 //
upatasthe mahAyogaM sarvadoSavinAzanam /
kRtASjalI rAmapatnI zAkSAt patimivAcyutam // KUrmP_2,33.116 //
namasyAmi mahAyogaM kRtAntaM gahanaM param /
dAhakaM sarvabhUtAnAmIzAnaM kAlarUpiNam // KUrmP_2,33.117 //
namasye pAvakaM devaM sAkSiNaM vizvatomukham /
AtmAnaM dIptavapuSaM sarvabhUtahRdI sthitam // KUrmP_2,33.118 //
prapadye zaraNaM vahniM brahmaNyaM brahmarUpiNam /
bhUtezaM kRttivasanaM zaraNyaM paramaM padam // KUrmP_2,33.119 //
oM prapadye jaganmUrtiM prabhavaM sarvatejasAm /
mahAyogezvaraM vahnimAdityaM parameSThinam // KUrmP_2,33.120 //
prapadye zaraNaM rudraM mahAgrAsaM trizUlinam /
kAlAgniM yoginAmIzaM bhogamokSaphalapradam // KUrmP_2,33.121 //
prapadye tvAM virUpAkSaM bhurbhuvaH svaH svarUpiNam /
hiraNyamaye gRhe guptaM mahAntamamitaujasam // KUrmP_2,33.122 //
vaizvAnaraM prapadye 'haM sarvabhUteSvavasthitam /
havyakavyavahaM devaM prapadye vahnimIzvaram // KUrmP_2,33.123 //
prapadye tatparaM tattvaM vareNyaM savituH svayam /
bhargamagniparaM jyotI rakSa mAM havyavAhana // KUrmP_2,33.124 //
iti vahnyaSTakaM japtvA rAmapatnI yazasvinI /
dhyAyantI manasA tasthau rAmamunmIlitekSaNA // KUrmP_2,33.125 //
athAvasathyAd bhagavAn havyavAho mahezvaraH /
AvirAsIt sudIptAtmA tejasA pradahanniva // KUrmP_2,33.126 //
svaSTvA mAyAmayIM sItAM sa rAvaNavadhepsayA /
sItAmAdAya dharmiSThAM pAvako 'ntaradhIyata // KUrmP_2,33.127 //
tAM dRSTvA tAdRzIM sItAM rAvaNo rAkSasezvaraH /
samAdAya yayau laGkAM sAgarAntarasaMsthitAm // KUrmP_2,33.128 //
kRtvAtha rAvaNavadhaM rAmo lakSmaNasaMyutaH /
masAdAyAbhavat sItAM zaGkAkulitamAnasaH // KUrmP_2,33.129 //
sA pratyayAya bhUtAnAM sItA mAyAmIya punaH /
viveza pAvakaM dIptaM dadAha jvalano 'pi tAm // KUrmP_2,33.130 //
dagdhvA mAyAmayIM sItAM bhagavAnugradIdhitiH /
rAmAyAdarzayat sItAM pAvako 'bhUt surapriyaH // KUrmP_2,33.131 //
pragRhya bhartuzcaraNau karAbhyAM sA sumadhyamA /
cakAra praNatiM bhUmau rAmAya janakAtmajA // KUrmP_2,33.132 //
dRSTvA hRSTamanA rAmo vismayAkulalocanaH /
nanAma vahniM sirasA toSayAmAsa rAghavaH // KUrmP_2,33.133 //
uvAca vahnerbhagavAn kimeSA varavarNinI /
dagdhA bhagavatA pUrvaM dRSTA matpArzvamAgatA // KUrmP_2,33.134 //
tamAha devo lokAnAM dAhako havyavAhanaH /
yathAvRttaM dAzarathiM bhUtAnAmeva sannidhau // KUrmP_2,33.135 //
iyaM sA mithilezena pArvatIM rudravallabhAm /
ArAdhya labdhA tapasA devyAzcAtyantavallabhA // KUrmP_2,33.136 //
bhartuH zuzrUSaNopetA suzIleyaM pativratA /
bhavAnIpArzvamAnItA mayA rAvaNakAmitA // KUrmP_2,33.137 //
yA nItA rAkSasezena sItA bhagavatAhRtA /
mayA mAyAmayI sRSTA rAvaNasya vadhAya sA // KUrmP_2,33.138 //
tadarthaM bhavatA duSTo rAvaNo rAkSasezvaraH /
mayopasaMhRtA caiva hato lokavinAzanaH // KUrmP_2,33.139 //
gRhANa vimalAmenAM jAnakIM vacanAnmama /
pazya nArAyaNaM devaM svAtmAnaM prabhavAvyayam // KUrmP_2,33.140 //
ityuktvA bhagavAMzcaNDo vizcArcirvizvatomukhaH /
mAnito rAghaveNAgnirbhUtaizcAntaradhIyata // KUrmP_2,33.141 //Related:
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