Impact of Sundarakanda on my Life -Part 3

Mother Sita Devi

Valmiki admires Mother Sita Devi with the following attributes:

Sri Swaroopini  Dharmajna Dharma Darshini  l

Yashasvini Madhura Bhashini Sah Dharmachaarini ll

She's beautiful, sweet and soft .She is Goddess of wealth, Knowing & Seeing what is right. She was Sweet tongued and Noble minded woman, She was Strengthened by the power of Purity & Penance.

In sundarakandam Sita addressing about herself to Hanuman

pR^ithivyaaM raajasiMhaanaaM mukhyasya viditaatmanaH || 5-33-15
snuShaa dasharathasyaaham shatrusainyaprataapinaH |

"I am the daughter-in-law of Dasaratha, eminent among the excellent kings on earth, who understands the nature of the spirit and who torments the army of the adversary."

duhitaa janakasya aham vaidehasya mahaatmanaH || 5-33-16
siitaa ca naama naamnaa aham bhaaryaa raamasya dhiimataH

"I am the daughter of the noble-natured Janaka, the king of Videha kingdom.

After being daughter of Janaka & daughterinlaw of King Dasaratha; . She had faced the severest of adversities. When Ravana carries her off, she resists his attempts to win her love and remains faithful to Rama.

In my sorrows I think of Sita Ma and I feel consoled. Her sorrow is indescribable. she is not used to sorrowfulness .She never leaves Sri Rama since she is physically away from Him. She has even forgotten whatever joy she has enjoyed in her life before. So dejected she is.Sita spent agonizing moments in Raavana’s Ashoka vana  . At that time Ravana who has   a dream of what is going to happen wanting to quicken the process of his salvation taunts Sita  and even gets ready to kill her . His wife Mandodhari prevents him..

Similarly, Sita could have executed her oft-contemplated suicidal thoughts during her crisis."Surrounded by these Rakshashis  there is no way I can go back to Rama . In such sorrow I want to give up life. Indeed the human life gives the ability to see the eight and wrong. My life is dependent on Rama and I have no power to do otherwise". In her sorrow Sita started crying "Oh Rama. Oh Lakshmana, Oh my mother-in-law Kausalya , Oh Sumitra , the saying that death will not come when you want for men or women is indeed true !"

While Sita was at her lowest ebb of sorrow, seeking to end her own life, SitaDevi selects the excellent simsupatree, the very tree where Hanuman was present, to hang herself. Sri Hanuman enters and sings the glories of the Lord in such melodious tones with such depths that Sita forgets her sorrows and is immersed in the Bliss of the remembrance of Sri Rama. Through his sweet and captivating words, Sri Hanuman quelled the burning fire of sorrow in Sita’s heart into a cool lake of devotion. That is beauty.

 

The story of Rama to gain the belief of Sita, talks to her , gives her hope. Sita choosing this tree, without knowing about Hanuman’s presence in it, is a proof that for good people when good times arrive God leads them to the right place.

Hanuman  To encourage Sita and give her hope, he narrate the adventures of Rama and also gave her signet Ring of Rama as the identification. After receiving and seeing,That hand ornament of her husband,That daughter of Janaka,Became as happy as,She has got her husband himself and said

Kalyani batha Gatheyam loukeeki prathibathi maa,

Eethi jeevantha maanando naram varsha sathad api. 21

“I feel that the proverb,

“Even if man suffers,

For one hundred years,

He should continue to live,

Because, He can become,

Happy at any time.”

Is surely true.”

This proverb always gives me the hope of happiness.

Then imagine how Sitadevi must have felt every time Ravana approached Her! Over the twelve months of Sita's captivity, Ravana grows increasingly desperate and irrational in his frustrated lust. But even though an ordinary person in Sita's is  in a state condition would be weak and miserable, she grows stronger and more thoughtful.Valmiki describes Her as trembling like a plantain leaf in the wind (prabale kadnee yathaa). When Ravana again entreats Sita, she places a straw between herself and Ravana as a symbol of her unwillingness to contact him directly.

 But the true measure of Her courage comes when, in response to Ravana’s entreaties and temptations, She tells him to his face that, having belonged to SriRama She cannot even consider his offer. Not only that, She also advises him "You should withdraw your mind from me," "and remain content with the numerous consorts you already possess. You will never be able to have me. I shall never do anything contrary to righteousness, and so there is no hope of your ever gaining my favor. she asked him" to surrender to Sri Rama to save his life and his race.. That, is true courage! Instead of fearing in the worst situation  Courage is not absence of fear but how well we overcome it.

Agni Pareeksha

After the end of the war, Sita is brought to the assembly of citizens. Sita looks intently at Sri Rama, eagerly awaiting to hear him. Sri Rama addresses Sita, to doAgni Pareeksha a Burning fire of Purity.The ultimate exam of faithfulness, purity and chastity.Sita, after hearing the cruel speech of Rama, trembled like a swaying vine, and wept with heavy tears, and she was ashamed before that great assembly. However, she wiped out the tears from her face and told Rama that herself was sufficient enough to prove her purity. Then she turned towards Lakshmana and told that with such an insult she would not wish to live in this world and asked him to prepare a funeral pyre for her.

  Sita turns to Lakshmana, and asks him to prepare a pyre of fire for her. When Lakshmana prepares a pyre, Mother Sita, after doing circumambulation to Sri Rama and proceeded towards the blazing fire,and spoke the following words:

yathaa maaM shuddhacharitaaM duShTaaM jaanaati raaghavaH |

tathaa lokasya saakShii maaM sarvataH paatu paavakaH || 6-116-26

"As Sri Rama worries about me, though of unimpeachable conduct, let the fire-god the witness of the world, protect me from all sides. As I have never been unfaithful in act, thought and speech to Sri Rama, who knows all the virtues, so let the fire-god protect me." she had successfully undertaken Agni Pariksha with courageand proves her Purity.

 After Ravana's death, Hanuman comes to Sita in the ashoka grove and, before taking her to Rama, offers to kill the female guards who have tormented her for so many months..She forgive the Rakshashis who tortured her.Mother Sita, was the personification of Purity, Patience, and Forgiveness.

The Sundara Kanda extols the following extraordinary qualities of Hanuman, Competence Envoy, Devoted Friend, Trusted Companion, Alertness, Resourcefulness, Swiftness of action and sharp mind, Foresight, Scholarship; Spirit of Service. Hanuman is an expert in communication. When Hanuman meets Sri Rama for the first time on the outskirts of Kishkindha as Sugriva'smessenger, Sri Rama was charmed by Hanuman's communication style and art of speaking. He did not utter a single word without relevance and significance. He has not wasted a single word. Nor did he omit an appropriate word.He has not taken more time than it was strictly necessary to express what he wanted to say'.

There can be no greater boon to a person in this life than having a good friend. A true friend understands our moods and speaks to us comfortingly so as to dispel our sorrow. While meeting   Sita 'Every word that he spoke to sita  can never be forgotten'.He describes to Her Sri Rama's qualities to cheer her up. He tells Her that Sri Rama is not even partaking of whatever food is available in the forest.Sri Rama does not sleep — and when He does, even in His sleep, He keeps uttering the name of Mother Sita.

But though Mother Sita is glad to hear of Sri Rama's unfailing and undiminished love for Her, She cannot bear the thought that He is suffering on her account. So She weeps over Sri Rama's torment. But when Mother Sita sheds tears of grief at Sri Rama's predicament, Hanuman tells her of His prowess and of how He will soon be at her side. 

 

When she is worried thinking of Her Lord, Hanuman's first reaction is to remind Her of Sri Rama' greatness and then to tell Her of His prowess and His longing for Her. Sita felt very happy to see the ring and praised Hanuman for his arrival to Lanka after having crossed the sea single handedly.She expresses her hope to Hanuman, saying that Sri Rama, Lakshmana, and Sugriva will come to Lanka with their armies so as to destroy Ravana, for her sake. Hearing Mother Sita's words, Hanuman consoles her saying that Sri Rama, Sugriva and a host of monkeys will come to Lanka by crossing the ocean, so as to defeat Ravana and his army. In this chapter Hanuman gives Hopes & confidence.

na tu dharmopasamhAram adharmophala saMhitaM.

tadeva phalamanveti dh

armashcAdharmanAshanaH..

--Sundara KaaNDam: 51. 29 ( HanumAn"s UpadEsam)

Meaning

The phalan for Dharmam is Sukham; the fruits of adharmam is sorrow. They donot come together. DharmA's phalan comes on itsown. That dharmam willdestroy adharmam. "DarmENa Paapam apanudhathi" says Vedam. ThereforeDharmam chases away adharmam and not vice versa.

On return from Lanka after meeting with Sri Sita Hanumaan greets SriRaama saying “Drishtaa Sita” which translates as “Seen Sita” instead of the usual statement “Sita was seen”. This was to dispel any anxiety and faulty, conclusion one might draw if the reference to ‘seeing’ was mentioned after mentioning ‘Sita’

Hanuman consolation of Lord Rama with the recall of His comforting words to Sita during His mission to LankA

Oh Raaghava! Janaka Puthree overcome by sorrow of separation from You and Your sufferings without Her in the forestheard my auspicious and comforting words about Her impending reunion with You and attained Shanthi.

Rama, the Kshatriya prince, could have let go of Sita after the abduction. Similarly, Sita could have executed her oft-contemplated suicidal thoughts during her crisis. All the same, the estranged couple did not give up hope of finding each other because they were guided by their love for and faith in each other. Sita is hoping against hope that Rama would find her and rescue her.It is the net essence of the very core of true love.It speaks of the power of love, & hope which unites the separated couple against all odds in an age sans new age transport and communication.Their love was like;

When one thinks of the Sun, he thinks of its radiance, its brightness. Just as brightness and the Sun can never be dissociated, so too can Mother Sita and Lord Sri Rama can never be viewed separately, and should not be viewed separately.

It is this saga of love that holds a inspiration light to optimism and hope. It is this tale which fills people with essence of confidence to overcome all the obstacles on their way to success.
The adventures of Hanuman described in the Sundara Kandam is a representation of many human virtues like courage, devotion to one’s master, confidence, and most of all, the enduring factor of love that bonded the couple, despite the lack of any chance of finding each other in the given circumstances, time and place. It is a treasure trove of power, reading which devotees can gain mental strength and spiritual support in difficult worldly situations. Its recital with faith is believed to give courage to face and overcome obstacles in life