He praised the lotus-eyed goddess Padma within his heart, offering her silent devotion. But the goddess, moved to speak, pronounced a curse: “For my sake, you shall perish along with your kin.” Having uttered these words, she withdrew from her mortal form through the power of yoga. Witnessing this, he was filled with wonder and regret, exclaiming, “Ah! What wondrous thing have I seen, and what have I done now?” In the course of time, that virtuous woman was reborn as the daughter of Janaka. Endowed with great asceticism from her previous birth, she had, through her austerities, worshipped the Lord of the universe. She remembered her past life and the sequence of her earlier austerities, and she continued to perform various rigorous penances for a long time. He, too, was virtuous—delightful, peaceful, and unsurpassed in handsome form. Ever obedient to his father’s command, the best of the Raghu dynasty was steadfast in truth. He dwelt near the ocean with Sita and Lakshmana. Seeing Rama distressed, Lakshmana too became sorrowful. At that time, Agni, the fire god, spoke: “The hour of Sita’s abduction has now arrived for you. Fate is indeed difficult to resist; there is no power greater than destiny. But I will restore Sita to you at the time of her trial.” Hearing these words, Rama kept them to himself and did not reveal them to Lakshmana. By the power of fire, Sita was transformed into a Maya-Sita, an illusory form. Then, Ravana came and took Sita away, instructing her not to speak openly. Meanwhile, Rama saw a golden deer. Leaving Lakshmana in the forest to protect Janaki, Rama pursued the deer. The illusory deer then cried out, mimicking Rama’s voice and calling, “Lakshmana!” At the great gate of Vaikuntha, a servant among the gatekeepers—due to the curse of Sanaka and others—had assumed the form of a rakshasi. She heard the distressed cry, “Lakshmana!” and was drawn into the unfolding events. With Lakshmana gone, Ravana, impossible to restrain, approached Sita. Rama, seeing Lakshmana in the forest, became despondent. Having fallen unconscious for a long time, he awoke and lamented intensely once more. In time, news of Sita’s abduction reached him through the vulture by the riverbank. Eventually, Rama went to Lanka, and there, the foremost of the Raghu dynasty slew Ravana with his arrow. He quickly arranged for the fire ordeal to prove Sita’s purity. The shadow Sita, humble and gentle, spoke to both the fire and to Rama. Agni said, “By performing austerity here, you shall attain the fortune of heaven.” Hearing this, she undertook penance at Pushkara. In time, through her austerities, she arose from the sacrificial fire-pit. In the Krita Yuga, she had been Vedavati, the auspicious daughter of Kushadhvaja. In the Dvapara Yuga, her shadow became the goddess Draupadi, daughter of Drupada. Narada then said, “Thus, O great lord, let all doubt be removed from your mind.” Narayana added, “That shadow, endowed with beauty and youth, was greatly distressed. By the command of Rama and Agni, she performed austerity and sought a boon from Shankara.