Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty seventh sarga of the ayOdhyakAnDam with offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having convinced kausalya about the dharma that thay should follow respectively, rAma received her glorious benedictions. She profusely blesses him for a safe sojourn in the forests untroubled by the smallest creature and protected by every quarter [2.25. The mother of all blessings!] . Indeed, the maturity of kausalya in understanding the dharma of everyone, overcoming the attachment to her son is wonderfully depicted by mahaRshi. Taking leave of her, rAma heads to meet sItA and convey her the latest developments and proceed to the forest. The ever charming rAma who feigned normal behavior all along felt a little embarrassed at seeing sItA in the mansion. His demeanor didn’t escape her and she wondered how the prince regent to be crowned in a few moments has arrived so unceremoniously. Questions gush out of her. rAma, on his part, narrates the happenings as a matter of fact and offers her advise about how she should conduct herself in his absence. Does she take it? Onwards…
The sweet-spoken sItA, who deserved nothing but sweet speech was aghast at hearing this and out of love for rAma she got a bit angry and said –
“O lord, what are you talking about? How would you like being spoken similarly to yourself? Lord, father, mother, son, daughter-in-law all reap from destiny what is due unto them. But it is only the wife who gets to share the destiny of her husband. Therefore, equally I have also been banished to the forest along with you. For a woman, neither her father, nor mother nor children nor her friends nor her own self can provide refuge. Whether in this world or the nest, it is the husband who shall be her refuge, ever. O rAghava, if you decide to proceed to the impregnable forests today I shall proceed ahead of you clearing the path of the thorns for you!
यदि त्वं प्रस्थितो दुर्गं वनमद्यैव राघव।
अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि मृद्नन्ती कुशकण्टकान्।।2.27.6।।
O valiant rAma, please get rid of the negative thoughts and take me along with you to the forest without hesitation. Whether it be in the mansions or flying in the aerial carts, a woman should just follow her husband’s footsteps and this is what has been taught to me by my parents along with the other dharmas a wife should follow. There is nothing new to be told to me now. I shall also go to the inaccessible forests infested with a variety of wild animals. O rAma, forgetting the three worlds and I shall live in the forest as if it is my father’s place, I shall never think of the comforts and luxuries of the palace, be self restrained observing celibacy and serving you happily I will move around in the forest along with you. O conferrer of honor, you are capable of protecting everyone in the forest, then what to say of me?
I will not trouble you in anyway. Subsisting on roots and fruits daily, living with you fearlessly I want to enjoy the breathtaking scenes of the forests, lakes, rivers and mountains. I would like to enjoy the sights of lakes and rivers replete with swans and fully bloomed lotuses and would like to have my ablutions there along with you. Thus living with you happily for a thousand or even hundred thousand years I shall have no sense of time and will prefer this to even heaven.
O rAghava, if I were offered heaven without you, I shall reject it at once. That won’t give me any joy. I will come to the forest full of monkeys, elephants and other beasts. Taking shelter at your feet I will reside there as happily as I would in my father’s house. I have no thought other than you, I am deeply attached to you and so I will not be able to live without you. Please take me along with you, O rAma, I will not be a burden on you”.
Although sItA was pleading so much to accompany him to the forest, rAma was not keen on taking her. In order to dissuade her from the thought of coming with him, he began to describe the difficulties involved in forest dwelling.
Here we conclude the twenty seventh sarga of the ayOdhya kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the book for word by word meaning from IITK website
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Next: 2.28. What makes forests dreadful
Previous: 2.26. sItA’s questions, rAma’s advise
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 