Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Contents of the Rāmāyaṇa Summarized
Text 1.1.50
तेन मायाविना दूरमपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ।
जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषम्॥
tena māyāvinā dūram apavāhya nṛpātmajau
jahāra bhāryāṁ rāmasya gṛdhraṁ hatvā jaṭāyuṣam
tena māyāvinā = by that magician; dūram = far away; apavāhya = were taken; nṛpa-ātmajau = the two sons of Daśaratha; jahāra = kidnapped; bhāryām = wife; rāmasya = Rāma’s; gṛdhram = the vulture; hatvā = killed; jaṭāyuṣam = Jaṭāyu.
The two sons of Daśaratha were taken far away by that magician. [Then Rāvaṇa] kidnapped Rāma’s wife and killed the vulture Jaṭāyu.
Māyāvinā indicates that Mārīca had magically assumed the form of a celebrated deer, an alluring, colorful golden deer. He was engaged [by Rāvaṇa] to [first of all] take Rāma away to a distant place by becoming [repeatedly] visible and invisible, and [then] to take away Lakṣmaṇa [to that place] by crying in a voice that resembled Rāma’s voice. Then, when the vulture Jaṭāyu had arrived to release Sītā, Rāvaṇa killed him, that is, he hurt Jaṭāyu to such an extent that he [eventually] succumbed to death. Sītā was Rāma’s wife, His eternally inseparable companion, [and yet Rāvaṇa took her away from Him].
[On the authority of the Purāṇas, learned authorities] declare that Sītā created a false Sītā and then personally entered into fire while the false Sītā was kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. When the false Sītā entered into the fire [after Rāvaṇa was killed], the real Sītā came out of the fire.