Kidnapping of Sita from Panchvati

On the way to Panchavati, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana met Jatayu. He said that he was a friend of Dashratha, and therefore he would guard Sita while they lived there. Rama told him that as a friend of his father, Jatayu would henceforth be as venerable to him as his own father. He would later help in the kidnapping of Sita from Panchvati. 

They located a pleasant place in Panchavati (place where five trees grow) to build their simple home. On the banks of the river Godavari, they spend many happy, pleasant days.

Shoorpanakha was enraged at their response, and assumed her fierce demonness form, and began to threaten Sita. Lakshmana drew his sword and cut off Shoorpanakha’s ears and nose. She ran off, and immediately went to her brothers Khar and Dooshana and showing them her bleeding and mutilated face, asked them toattack and kill Rama and Lakshmana. 

One day, however, the sister of the demon king Ravana, Shoorpanakha, came there. As soon as she saw Rama, she fell in love with him. She took the form of a lovely young woman and proposed to Rama. Rama pointed to Sita and indicated he was already married, but he hinted in jest that Lakshmana was at the moment single. Shoorpanakha then proposed to Lakshmana. Lakshmana said, “I am a servant of Rama. If you marry a servant, you will also become a servant like me.”