Adhyatma Ramayanam Day 28. Uttarakandham Contd

Adhyatma Ramayanam Day 28. Uttarakandham Contd

Audiobook Link - Adhyatma Ramayanam  36.20 m

Ramayanam Kilippaattu Day 28 രാമായണമാസം - ദിവസം  28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZJA4j7YADE

Uttarakandham Contd.

Chapter 3

Sage Agastya narrated the story of Rakshasas in Rama’s court and the guests departed from the palace. Sri Rama reigned the kingdom with the help of his brothers, at the same he found time to enjoy family life with Sita. They went to gardens and engaged in water sports in the lakes and streams. The whole world seemed to have been rejoicing Rama’s life in Ayodhya. To make matters more exciting, Sita became pregnant. Rama was elated. He asked her lovingly: “My dear, I have heard that if a pregnant lady desires certain things during this period and the husband must fulfill that. Also, if you do not satisfy those desires, the child may be born with problems in its body or mind. I will ensure to satisfy your desires however difficult they are.” 

Sita Devi said: “Long ago when we were living in the forest, we used to visit and stay at the Ashrams of several sages, and I yearn to stay with those ladies and have a day-long Satsang with them. I do not desire anything else.” Rama said: “I will get Lakshmana to take you without delay, perhaps tomorrow itself.” Sita was excited and got herself ready for the excursion and Rama sat on his throne contented.

Abandonment of Sita Devi

That day at the place, several royal messengers came together and got Sri Rama’s audience. Vijaya, Madhu Datta, Kashyapa, Pingala, Suraji, Magadha, Kalaka, and Bhadra paid their respects to Rama, and he asked them: “Please tell me, what is the news around the kingdom? Are the people happy about how my brothers and I are governing the kingdom? Are they happy with our behavior? What do they talk about us brothers and the queen Sita Devi?” 

Bhadra replied: “Oh! Lord, I will summarize what they are telling about you. They are still singing about how you built a dyke to cross the ocean and how you annihilated Ravana to rescue the queen. Who else can accomplish all these other than our king, they are amazed! They are sure that there has never been a ruler like you, and they swear that there would be no other king like you in the future too. They are all saying great things about you.” Rama stopped him and said: “It is enough that you say about all the good things you hear about us. It is customary for the messengers to say pleasing things to the king. I know that there cannot be a situation where everything is good and nothing bad is going on. Life is such that it is a mix of both good and bad. Now tell me what all they are talking ill of us?” 

Hearing this, Bhadra said: “They are saying, you are equal to Lord Vishnu and how can you justify this? He has accepted the lady as the queen even though she was once abducted by Ravana and has stayed at his palace for a while. Is it the right conduct for a king? Who knows what is behind that act! Is it because Rama is a king, it is acceptable, or is it the new normal for us commoners too? These are some murmurs, and no other issues are being talked about.” Rama heard this candid report by his spies and sent them away after gifting them amply. After they left the court, Sri Rama’s mind was confused and went deep in thoughts as he went to bed.

The next morning, after the daily rituals, he asked for the brothers to see him. They hurried to see the king anxiously and Rama embraced them tightly. He said: “My dear brothers, you are indeed my life force. It would be like giving up life if the one you were to disappear from my sight. I rule the kingdom for you, and you know that we have been holding our father Dasaratha’s name high without fail. There has never been a blemish on our dynasty either. But unfortunately, there is a rumor about our moral conduct, and I asked for you to come to discuss appropriate action. 

People are gossiping that it was not right for Sri Rama to have accepted Sita Devi as she has spent almost a year under Ravana’s custody. I know, you have never heard of this rumor until now. I have also thought of a solution for this situation.  Yesterday I had asked Sita what her desires are as a pregnant lady and she said she wanted to visit the Ashrams in the forest and spend a day there with the wives of the sages, just as we used to do a long time ago. I offered to get Lakshmana to take her to the forest today. So, Lakshmana, please get ready at once. Get Sumanthra to prepare the chariot and go to the Ashram of sage Valmiki and abandon her in the forest and come back immediately. Do not even try to question my decision. Know that anyone who is trying to oppose my decision will be my enemy from now on. Lakshmana, when we were staying in the forest, remember the time when I went in search of the golden deer? Then you had to come to the forest in search of me upon Janaki’s insistence. Then Ravana abducted her. Then we met Sugriva and entered a pact with him, and I killed Bali as agreed. After Hanuman went to See Sita in Lanka, we made a dyke and crossed the ocean. We killed Ravana and his army and coronated Vibhishana as the Asura King. After the war, Sita had proven her purity by taking an Agni test. God Agni assured me that Sita is pure, and no blemish has ever fallen on her. Devas, Mahadeva, and Lord Brahma had also declared that Sita was pure. That is why I accepted her wholeheartedly. The same Sita Devi is the reason for my infamy now. To avoid disrepute, I will abandon anyone- even one of you, or our parents, for that matter. Go and leave Janaki in the forest near the river Ganga. If you think it is an act you cannot do, you will end up being my enemy. Do not worry, this is my decision.”

Rama wept profusely and the tears flowed like a river from his eyes as he retired to his chamber that day after ordering Lakshmana to do the unthinkable. Lakshmana went to Sita Devi and asked her to get ready early in the morning for the journey to see the sages. Sumanthra got the royal chariot ready and Sita was excited thinking that her husband has arranged everything as she wanted. She had collected special food items, silk clothes, and gold ornaments, and precious stones to give as gifts to the wives of the sages. Lakshmana loaded all those in the chariot and they drove away slowly out of the city. 

Sita told Lakshmana that the omens were not auspicious. “What is happening? Is there anything bothering my Lord, Rama? Are you brothers not doing well?” Lakshmana pacified her: “Everything is fine, Sister, all is well and will end up in good.” He tried to control his sadness by pretending to be normal and courageous. They reached the banks of Gautami and the next morning they reached the banks of Ganga. They did the daily oblations and then crossed the river when Lakshmana started weeping uncontrollably. “Why are you crying, my brother?” She asked. “Is it because you are separated from your brother Rama for a day? You have never been away from him, I know. See, I have survived the separation from my Lord for a year. Today we will visit the Ashram and we can go back to Ayodhya tomorrow.” Lakshmana wailed even more profusely. She asked again: “Why are you crying so pitifully? I have never seen you this grief-stricken ever before. Tell me what is bothering you? You are not an ignorant youngster. Tell me your sorrow.” 

Sumanthra stood there strong, reminiscing about what was previously predicted by the sage Durvasa.

Finally, Lakshmana said: “See, my brother has several people to undertake any commands he gives out, but he chose me to do this brutal deed. I am sure my bad karmas are catching up with me in this life. There will be no worst sinner than me to do this. If he asks me to jump in the fire, I would have done it without complaining. If I must drink the Kalakuta poison, I would have readily obliged. But he has entrusted me with this! I cannot end my life without finishing my duty either. He cried again and fell on the ground.” Seeing this, Sita asked: “Oh Lakshmana, tell me my husband’s command, whatever it is, I must hear it now. You do not worry about the consequences of telling me.” Lakshmana told her reluctantly. “I am finding it difficult to verbalize it. In Ayodhya, there is a rumor about you and the people say that it is not morally right for Rama to have accepted you as the queen, after being in the custody of Ravana for a year. Hearing this, the king asked me to bring you to the sage’s Ashrama and leave you here. Please do not be upset with me and your husband. If you curse us, we know that we will be burnt alive as I know how chaste you are. I will not see an unsullied woman like you in the three worlds.  Agni, Mahadeva, and other sages have talked highly about your purity. Please stay in the Ashram with the ladies of the hermitage without any sorrow.”

Sita’s Wailing 

When she heard Lakshmana uttering those words, Sita fainted and fell on the ground for a while. Then she got up and started wailing: “Oh my lord, have you abandoned me? Why did you do that? What is the reason for taking such an action? I have caused pain to many people in the past and those karmas are coming back to me with a vengeance. When the sages and their ladies ask me, what will I tell them? I cannot believe that I am still alive even after hearing this terrible development. If I take my life, there will be no one to carry on the Surya Clan.  Lakshmana, the mothers in the palace must be feeling bad for me. Sri Rama is abandoning me as he fears the ill repute I brought to the kingdom. May the king rule the kingdom worry-free, without any sorrow of having separated from me! You, brothers, must serve him well. You can leave now.” 

Lakshmana walked around Sita Devi three times and went away shedding tears. Sumanthra and Lakshmana crossed the river Ganga and returned slowly. Lakshmana reminisced the difficulties Rama and Sita went through in their life. He could not recall any bad karma they have done to deserve such a predicament. Hearing Lakshmana, Sumanthra consoled him: “There is no point in us grieving so much. Can we push aside the will of God? Hear an old story from me. When you four bright boys were born, King Dasaratha was elated, and he went to see the Royal Guru Vasishta. Then Sage Durvasa also came to the Ashram to spend the four winter months there. The king paid his respects to both sages and stayed in the Ashram enjoying the sage’s hospitality. After the pleasantries, the king asked the Sage Durvasa: “amongst my four sons, does Rama has a long life? What are in store for the boys in the future? You must be able to foresee their future clearly because of your Tapas and divine vision.” Then the sage replied: “Rama will reign the kingdom for eleven thousand years happily with the citizens and his brothers, and then will return to his abode at Vaikundha. But know this; he will end up abandoning his wife in the forest. If we assess the duration of time, we know that the period of sorrows surpasses that of pleasures in life. He will have two sons and Rama will give them two separate kingdoms to rule. In the end, Ayodhya will become a forest and all the inhabitants will attain Vaikundha.” The sage declared more about the situations and the king asked me to be discrete about these prophetic words of the Rishi. I have never divulged this to anyone until now.”

In the forest, Sita Devi woke up from her shock and moaned again. “I did jump in the fire as per your directions and came out without any burns. I cannot even take my life by jumping on fire anymore. Is it better to die by jumping in water by tying up my legs together? Or shall I hang myself? Otherwise, I should resort to getting bitten by a poisonous snake. I have had enough life on this earth.”

Sita Reaches Valmiki’s Ashram

Sita’s moaning reached the ears of some of the young monks walking in the forest. They told Valmiki about it: “A royal lady is sitting on the riverbank and crying profusely. She could be a celestial woman or Lakshmi Devi herself. We do not know the reason for her sorrow, but we noticed that the creepers and trees are also shedding tears seeing her grief. Rivers are not flowing, and the Sun is not moving. The wind is stagnant, and snakes remain in their caves. Birds do not chirp either. Oh, Sage, we must rescue her. No, we must welcome her properly.” 

When the Brahmacharis said so highly of her, Valmiki understood who it would be.  He went to Sita carrying the necessary offerings to give her and told her the words of welcome. “I know, Devi, you are the queen of Ayodhya, Sri Rama’s wife. I know you are the daughter of King Janaka, and I am convinced that you are blemishless. In my divine vision, I see the reason for Rama abandoning you. Please accept our welcome offerings and come to my Ashram. You will have the company of ladies in the hermitage who will look after you through your pregnancy. You will have no reason to grieve in the Ashram. Treat it as your home.” Sita Devi agreed and followed the sage to the Ashram. The sage requested the ladies to look after her and they were happy to receive her. Sita’s grief subsided, and she rested a while in the Ashram.

Lakshmana reached back to Ayodhya by midday and saw Sri Rama. He was sitting with his head down, weeping and silently wailing. Lakshmana paid his respects and thought about what to tell him. “Why are you sitting here desperately like an ignorant person? Once we take up a body, we are all bound to be separated at one time or the other. Life is like a wayside inn where people come and stay for a while and then leave. Mother, father, wife, children, and wealth, etc. are with us for a few days and then they get separated from us when the time comes by the individual’s karma. Grieving over such separations is ignorance. Wise people do not fall prey to these fleeting emotions.  I realize that you understand all these but grieving too much can make you blind. Also, we do not want the world to think that the king is under the spell of grief because of separating from his lady. Even sages are subjected to vacillations of the mind, but they consider you very daring and steadfast. Life is a mixture of pain and pleasure, and you must get rid of this mood and behave as the renowned king you are.” 

Sri Rama regained his composure and replied: “What you said is true. We must look forward and do whatever is necessary. If we sit four days like this, the time will pass and our opportunity to think will be delayed by that much time. For a king, deliberations on strategic matters are paramount. Any lack of care in that can invite greater consequences for him and his kingdom.”

Story of Nriga

In Ayodhya, there was a king by the name of Nriga. He was the brother of Ishwaku. He was known for his donations of crores of cows to Brahmanas and other needy people. Among the cows donated by him, a cow got mixed up with the wrong group and went to a different recipient Brahmana. The Brahmana who lost the cow went in search of it and found that it was among the other Brahmana’s cows. He called the cow by name, and she went with the owner. Then the other Brahmana stopped him, and they argued about the ownership of the cow. “This is my cow, given by the king,” he said. But the other person also had the same argument.  Finally, the issue reached the king. When they reached the palace gate, they could not get an audience with the king. So, they decided to stay there for a few days until they got to see the king. Still, they could not meet the king. They cursed the king: “you become a lizard and live in a well and suffer for what you did to us. When Lord Narayana takes an avatar as Krishna, you will be redeemed with his touch.” So, saying, they donated the cow to a third Brahmana and left to their homes. The king came to know what happened and decided to coronate his son and suffer the effect of the curse. He asked his son to make a well with enough vegetation and trees around it so that the water will not get too warm or cold. Vasu, the young king made a well as desired by his father and the king is still living there, suffering for the inadvertent mistake he made. 

Lakshmana asked: “Brother, is it fair to receive such a punishment for a mistake done unintentionally? Also, the king was known for his bequests. Still, he had this terrible fate!” Rama replied: “Karma works in such a way that its effects can be allayed only by experiencing them. Some effects of the karmas are ordained to be experienced and in Nriga’s case, he must be experiencing the results of his past karma ordained to be experienced in the present lifetime.”