Srila Prabhupada Explains – Abduction of Shadow Sita Devi by Ravana

The popular view of Abducting shadow Sita Devi by Ravana:

All know that the king of Lanka, Ravana abducting the wife of Sri Ramchandra took her away and kept her in the Asokavana for a long time. Ramchandra building the bridge came to Lanka and after killing Ravana rescued Sita Devi. Ramchandra told Sita Devi to prove her chastity of character by entering into the fire in the presence of all. As Sita Devi passed this test of entering into the fire Sri Ramchandra accepted his wife.

The theoretical decision regarding Ravana’s abduction of Sita Devi:

Sri Ramchandra is God Visnu Himself. Sita Devi is His ever wife—Laksmi Herself. Sri Ramchandra except Sita Devi does not accept any other wife. Sita Devi does not know anyone but Sri Ramchandra. Sri Rama and Sita are not ordinary men and women or beings. Ravana is an asura and a being.  Is there any ability of an asura to abduct Lakshmi Devi or can touch Her,– apart from touching can he see Herby his earthly eyes? The Vedas and Puranas say that– the earthly being cannot see any transcendental thing, such as we are bound beings, we cannot see the God in earthly eyes.

Opening of the mystery of abduction of Sita Devi by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu:

While Sri Chaitanyadeva went to travel in the South, in Madurai he took shelter in the house of a Brahmin devotee of Sri Ramchandra. That Brahmin had already invited Sri Chaitanyadeva; but when Mahaprabhu after taking bath in Krtamala river came to the house of that Brahmin in the noontime, he saw that the Brahmin even in the lunchtime did not arrange for cooking. As Mahaprabhu asked him the reason, the Brahmin said when Laksmana will bring the wild fruits and edible vegetables, then only Sita Devi will cook for Ramchandra. Saying so the Brahmin slowly started arranging for cooking. Mahaprabhu in the afternoon begged in the house of that Brahmin.

But the Brahmin did not eat anything, remained fully in fasting. That Brahmin was seemed to be lamenting poorly, as Mahaprabhu asked the reason of his sorrow.  The Brahmin said I will not want to live: I will enter into fire or water to give up my life.  The Raksasa has touched Sri Laksmi Devi-Sita Thakurani, this I have to hear by my own ears, I have no desire to remain alive. My heart is burning in this sorrow. Then Mahaprabhu told the Brahmin-Sri Sita Devi is Laksmi

Herself – She is the embodiment of ever bliss.  For the Raksasa it was apart from touching Her, he cannot even see Her. Ravana has abducted shadow Sita Devi, as Ravana approached, Sita Devi disappeared and sent the shadow Sita Devi to Ravana.

The proof of the scriptures regarding the mystery of Sita Devi Abduction:

While Sri Chaitanyadeva came to Setuvandha Ramesvara, at that time he saw that in the gathering of the Brahmins, Kurma Purana was being read. There he heard about the topic of Sita Devi that while the great faithful Janaki saw Ravana, She took the refuge to Agni who prepared the shadow Sita and kept the real Sita in the abode of Agni. Ravana on seeing that shadow Sita thought her the real one and abducted her. Agni kept Sita to Parvati and by giving fake Sita deceived Ravana. While Ramcandra took the test of Sita, then the shadow Sita entered into the fire. Agnideva bringing the real Sita presented Her to Ramchandra.

Sri Chaitanyadeva begging that page where this hymn on this topic was written in Kurma Purana from the Brahmins gave that to that Rama devotee Brahmin.

The teaching of Srila Prabhupada:

There is a great lesson in this example. The ignorant public thinks—that atheists are capable of torturing the devotee, God, Idols, Ganga, and Tulasi. Some atheists had destroyed the high pinnacles of the temples of God and the images—this was the belief of many. Some are so practical that they think—when the thief, robbers, and atheist can steal the ornaments of the images or can destroy them (?) and the God has no power to stop them(?) then devotion to the images of God or Visnu has no value. They cannot understand that those sinner atheists apart from touching the true things even cannot see them.  The Maya of God taking the form of truth used to deceive them.  The magician making a gold coin from dust used to create an illusion to the public. The ordinary people even after testing those gold coins cannot understand that there is magic in it; like this is it an astonishing matter that the All-Powerful God by Whose Maya the universe remains mesmerized, will keep those sinners under the spell of illusion for concealing His real Entity.