Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred eighteenth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Citing increased attacks and imminent dangers from the demons, the mahaRshis of the chitrakUTa move on from there to what they considered safer havens. They cautioned rAma as well to do so. While under no such fear from the demons, rAma still considered moving since he didn’t like the stay there without the ascetics ever engaged in their spiritual pursuits. So he decided to move as well along with sItA and lakshmaNa. They moved and soon met the chancellor sage atri in his ASram along with his consort anasUyA. The sage ceremonially welcomed rAma with paternal love. He then introduced his pious, women of strict vows and benevolent consort anasUyA and advised that sItA may go and speak to her in order get some good advice. rAma concurred with this advice and as the brothers stayed with the Rshi, sItA went to mother anasUyA and introduced herself. Onwards…
As mother anasUyA affectionately offered lessons in commitment to the husband and chastity to sItA who was free from any malice herself, vaidEhI (sItA) replied in respectful words – “Little wonder that your exalted self is professing these great values to me. I am aware that the husband is the lord of the woman. Even if my husband was devoid of good conduct, he was to be followed and worshipped by me unquestioningly then what to speak of when he is acclaimed by elders, compassionate, self restrained, righteous and affectionate like mother and father. The manner in which he treats his own mother kausalyA, he treats all other royal women of the king daSaratha with the same conduct – as mothers, keeping aside his own pride. I have been advised appropriately about conducting myself by my mother-in-law kausalyA, as I set out on the journey to the terrifying forests. My mother advised me of the same during my wedding and as such the words of the mother and mother-in-law are etched in my heart. Now, O righteous lady, when you speak of the conduct desired of women, my memory has been refreshed – there indeed is no dharma higher for a woman than following her husband. sAvitrI ascended the heavens by virtue of her chastity and being committed to her husband. Even among the celestials, the rOhiNI is seldom spotted without her consort chandra. Thus those women who unconditionally follow their husbands find place in the firmament of the heavens. You too shall be spoken of in the same breath”
Lady anasUyA was thoroughly delighted to hear these words from sItA. She drew her near, scented her forehead by virtue of blessing her and affectionately told her that by virtue of the asceticism that was in her possession she was capable of granting any boon to sItA that would please her. So she asked sItA to seek boons from her. To this sItA rather modestly replied that she already felt blessed by mother anasUyA. The old lady was extremely happy to hear these words from maithili and said –
“O sItA, please accept these – divine garland, garments, jewelry and this fragrant unction to smear on yourself. These shall grace your body, are easy to put on and and beautify your persona. These shall not fade. Smeared by this divine unguent you shall look resplendent by the side of your husband who will appear like lord vishNu himself”!
She accepted the affectionate and loving gifts of grace from the ascetic woman gratefully and gracefully and having received those, sat by the side of her. Then anasUyA began asking sItA about a tale dear to her heart –
“O sItA, wasn’t in a swayamvara (self choice of husband in a ceremony by princesses) that you were won by rAma. At least that is how the story has filtered to my years. I shall be delighted to hear your account in entirety and as you experienced it”. In response sItA began narrating the tale of her wedding with rAma –
“The warrior king of mithila janaka ruled over the earth in consonance with kshatra dharma and justly. Once he was busy tilling a piece of land himself and at that time he found me arising out of the earth. With his fists filled with seeds that he was sowing, king janaka was surprised to behold me arising from the earth with my body covered in dust. He had no children and so he drew me near with lot of affection and declared that I am his child! At the same time he heard the unseen voice from the skies affirming his declaration – O king, this peerless and superhuman girl shall be your daughter as per dharma.
अन्तरिक्षे च वागुक्ताऽप्रतिमाऽमानुषी किल।
एवमेतन्नरपते धर्मेण तनया तव।।2.118.31।।
The king accepted me as his own daughter and when he offered me to the chief queen, she accepted me wholeheartedly as well and they looked after me very well. When I had reached the marriageable age my father became restless and sorrowful like a poor man would upon losing whatever wealth he has. The ways of the world are such that the father of an unmarried girl faces humiliation from others even inferior to him. My father sensed that such humiliation is perhaps not far for him and wondered how to navigate that situation. Even worse, I was peerless and not born of womb and so it was that much more difficult to find my match.
As he pondered over thus, he came to a decision to conduct my swayamvara, a ceremony to choose the suitor. There was a mighty bow in our house which the great varuNa had gifted along with quivers of arrows. The bow was so robust and heavy that the kings could hardly dream of bending it, let alone lifting it despite great efforts. Deciding that the stringing bow would be an act of accomplishment apt enough to win my hand, he announced in the assembly of the kings that – the king who is able to string the bow shall wed my daughter! The assembled kings beheld the bow of mountainous proportions and unable to lift it, paid their homage and left.
A long time passed, and then, accompanied by lakshmaNa and sage viSwamitra, rAma came by to watch the yajna that was ongoing in mithilA. It was then that the sage viSwAmitra introduced the princes of king daSaratha – rAm and lakshmaNa, described their curious desire to size up the bow and asked my father that the divine bow be shown.
Carrying out the order of sage viSwAmitra, my father arranged for the show of the bow in the assembly. As soon as he saw it, rAma, within the twinkling of an eye, lifted the bow, strung it and in the speed with which he did that, the bow broke into two right in the middle. The loud noise that emanated from that breaking of the bow was like a thunderbolt had fallen!
Soon my father holding a vessel of water reiterated his promise to offer me to the suitor who strung the bow. But rAma was not ready to accept me without knowing the opinion of king daSaratha!
दीयमानां न तु तदा प्रतिजग्राह राघवः।
अविज्ञाय पितुश्छन्दमयोध्याऽधिपतेः प्रभोः।।2.118.51।।
Then my father invited the king daSaratha to mithilA and as per his wish offered me to rAma in marriage. My charming younger sister UrmilA was offered lakshmaNa as his wife by my father of his own volition.
Thus I was given to rAma that day in the swayamvara. By dharma, I am devoted to him, my lord, the most valiant one.
Here we conclude the one hundred eighteenth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 2.119. So long says rAma
Previous: 2.117. Chastity acclaims chastity
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
