Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixteenth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Exhorted by jAmabavAn, hanumAn in a display of steely resolve, leapt across the ocean to lanka overcoming obstacles in the form of mainAka, surasA and simhikA. Having reached lanka, he reflected about the way to enter it and deliberating carefully became inconspicuous like a small cat and breached into lanka. The guardian deity lanka apprehended him and he seized her powers and brought her under control and she let him in wishing well for his mission. rAvaNa’s time was up, she said! Having entered lanka courageously, the extremely circumspect and wise hanumAn, started searching for sItA house to house. In the process he witnessed the advancements of lanka in terms of culture, facilities, life, cuisine and in all walks of life. Searching thoroughly and not finding, he now entered the palace of rAvaNa. He beheld the usurped aerial chariot of kubEra, the pushpaka vimAna, mansions dazzling with gold and gems and jewels and not far from that the private chamber of the womanizer rAvaNa. In the dead of night, he went through the harem looking for sItA. But he couldn’t find her anywhere. He saw numerous beauties, mandOdarI, the queen and rAvaNa himself but did not see sItA. He was depressed if his effort was in vain and momentarily suicidal thoughts took him over. But recovering fast, his resolve came to the fore. Backing himself to overpower rAvaNa as the ultimate step if he fails to find sItA, hanumAn set his sight on the aSOka grove where he was yet to search. Feeling very much at home in the foliage of the grove, hanumAn waited on a SImSupa tree and hoped that sItA would visit the stream nearby at dawn. As he lay in wait silently in a small and inconspicuous form, his sight finally fell on the emaciated and austere woman who was in constant contemplation and was visibly devastated. Recollecting the descriptions of her appearance, jewels and qualities by rAma and matching the piece of cloth (with her jewels that they had got while sItA was being abducted [3.54]) with her current clothing, hanumAn was sure that his quest had borne fruition and that it was sItA indeed. He was delighted and reflected further having admired her and rAma for their virtues and pining for each other. Onwards…
Having eulogized the praise worthy sItA and the epitome of enahnting virtues rAma, the illustrious hero among the vAnaras thought again for some time and was moved to tears looking at the plight of sItA.
मान्या गुरुविनीतस्य लक्ष्मणस्य गुरुप्रिया।
यदि सीताऽऽपि दुःखार्ता कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः।।5.16.3।।
“Alas, if sItA, the worship worthy and the beloved of rAma, protected by the well trained and obedient lakshmaNa and rAma suffers in agony this, the no one can indeed transgress destiny. However, just like the river ganga is able to consume the onslaught of rains and contain it within her, sItA is also not exceedingly agitated knowing the determination of rAma and the abilities of lakshmaNa. She and rAma have comparable conduct, comparable insignia and therefore she deserves rAma and he deserves sItA”.
तां दृष्ट्वा नवहेमाभां लोककान्तामिव श्रियम्।
जगाम मनसा रामं वचनं चेदमब्रवीत्।।5.16.6।।
Beholding the golden hue of sItA that was radiating grace and prosperity like goddess lakshmI, hanumAn was mentally with rAma and said –
“It is for this wide-eyed beauty, that he vanquished the mighty vAlI who was as valorous as rAvaNa. He felled kabandha, killed the giant virAdha in combat like indra felled the demon Sambara. Fourteen thousand fierce demons were vanquished by his fiery arrows in the combat as were khara, triSirA and dUshaNa. It is on account of sItA that sugrIva secured enormous wealth, the city administered by vAlI and immense fame. It is for her sake that I have crossed the lord of the rivers, the ocean and conducted my quest in this city. It would be justified even if rAma choses to turn the entire land stretching unto the oceans, or even the entire world upside down for her sake.
If the kingdom or even three worlds were to be weighed against sItA, they would be just a fraction of her. She was begotten by the great and dharmic king of mithilA, janaka, from the fields covered with dust when it was being ploughed and is the unswerving wife of rAma. She is the illustrious daughter-in-law of the valiant and noble king daSaratha who has never retreated from the battlefield.
राज्यं वा त्रिषु लोकेषु सीता वा जनकात्मजा।
त्रैलोक्यराज्यं सकलं सीताया नाप्नुयात्कलाम्।।5.16.14।।
Alas, she is the darling of the dharmic, grateful and self-aware rAma who came under the sieze of the demons. She was forced by her immense love for husband to give up the luxuries and without thinking about the difficulties there in, she entered the forests. She was very happy subsisting on the fruits and roots and serving her husband and enjoyed her stay in the forest like she would in her mansion. That sweet spoken and golden hued woman, alas, how unfortunate that she putting up with this torture!
rAghava pines for her like a thirsty one pines for water and surely deserves to beget this noble and highly virtuous lady tormented by rAvaNa. Certainly, by reunion with her he will delight like a king who reclaimed his kingdom. Giving up all her pleasures and luxuries, bereft of kin, she holds on to her body only in anticipation of union with him. Neither does she take cognizance of the demons, nor of the fruits and flowers around, being single minded, she is only thinking of rAma.
नैषा पश्यति राक्षस्यो नेमान्पुष्पफलद्रुमान्।
एकस्थहृदया नूनं राममेवानुपश्यति।।5.16.25।।
Husband is the greatest ornament of the woman. Without him by her side, she does not dazzle even if she is worthy of every adornment. rAma performs a very difficult task by holding on to his life without her by his side.
दुष्करं कुरुते रामो हीनो यदनया प्रभुः।
धारयत्यात्मनो देहं न दुःखेनावसीदति।।5.16.27।।
Beholding this beauty of black hair and lotus like beautiful eyes, who deserves every comfort and yet is grieving hurts me a lot.
Alas, forbearing like the earth itself, the beauty with lotus like eyes who is usually protected by rAghava and lakshmaNa is now under this tree being protected by the gory ogresses. Suffering the streak of sorrow, her glory is lost like the glory of the lotus in frost and like the chakravAka bird which is without its mate, the daughter of janaka also is in a pitiable state. For sure, the branches of the aSOka trees bent by the weight of the blooms and the moon emerging from the mist must be enhancing her grief”.
Thus the vAnara diligently deliberated and made sure in his mind that she is indeed sItA. The best among the vAnaras, the tormentor, the mighty hanumAn made up his mind thus and remained firmly perched on that tree.
Here we conclude the sixteenth sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 5.17. Surviving hostility with rAma in her heart
Previous: 5.15. The quest bears fruition
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 