Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred and sixteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The battle was over. With a determined effort, rAma’s army fought well and with rAvaNa vanquished by rAma, the battle was over. As per the word given by rAma, vibhIshaNa was crowned as the king of lanka. Now, the mission was bearing fruition. hanumAn was sent to the divine lady sItA who was performing a veritable penance in the asOka grove with the message of conquest. She was happy and wanted to meet her lord immediately. rAma prepared to receive her, not as a husband but as the scion of the ikshvAku clan! He knew of the questions that would arise about sItA, her captivity, her conduct during that time, suspicion on her conduct… and that moved him to the core. He withstood the surge of emotions and conveyed to sItA the reason he did this conquest in a very cold manner without even making eye contact. His reputation as a protector was important since he was going to be the king of ayOdhyA and so he told her that in vanquishing rAvaNa he salvaged his image which had taken a dent due to the abduction of his wife. However her conduct would be questioned as she stayed in hostile environment. Asking her to choose her path as she was free now, rAma paused. Onwards…
vaidEhI was completely devastated to hear the harsh words spoken by rAma. She was totally embarrassed with shame to listen to such words from her husband for the first time. Those words pierced her like arrows and she shed copious tears in great pain. Slowly wiping her tears and with her throat choked, she spoke slowly addressing her husband –
“O warrior, why are you speaking such undeserving and terribly unbearable words to me like an ordinary man speaks to an ordinary woman? O mighty armed, I am not how you are suspecting me to be. Believe in me, I swear by your exalted conduct. The general conduct of ordinary women under such circumstances is what you are thinking about and suspecting mine. If you have known me and seen my conduct (earlier) then give up this suspicion. If at all, I had to undergo the touch of rAvaNa under helpless conditions, it was not out of my own volition and hence it is the mistake of providence. I had no control on my body and so I was helpless, but I had control over my heart and that belonged to you alone. If you are unaware of my conduct despite our association and interactions then I am as good as gone forever. When you sent the warrior hanumAn in quest of me to lanka, why did you not give me up then? If you had communicated this through the vAnara warrior, I would have given up my life. Then you would not have needed to put in such elaborate efforts risking the lives of your well-wishers. O best among men, swept by anger, you are seeing me like an ordinary woman without considering that I was born of the earth and found by the king janaka. You have completely looked the other way in spite of knowing my conduct, devotion and character which you have seen ever since you clasped my hand in marriage in the childhood”!
अपदेशेन जनकात् उत्पत्तिर्वसुधातलात् ।
मम वृत्तं च वृत्तज्ञ बहु ते न पुरस्कृतम् ॥
न प्रमाणीकृतः पाणिः बाल्ये मम निपीडितः ।
मम भक्तिश्च शीलं च सर्वं ते पृष्ठतः कृतम् ॥
Weeping bitterly with choked voice, she ordered the helpless lakshamaNa who was lost in thought –
“O saumitri, the only solution to this crisis is the pyre. Spread the wood and make the pyre since hurt by these false accusations I wish not to live. Discarded by the displeased husband in the midst of subjects the only way of salvation for me is to enter the fire”.
The slayer of the enemies, lakshmaNa turned restless at this command and looked at rAghava. He didn’t say anything but the body language suggested that he may do what she asked him to and so he made the pyre ready.
There was no one who dared to say anything to rAma at that moment who resembled yama and stood with his head down. vaidEhI circumambulated him thrice and approached the fire. She bowed to the gods and the brAhmaNas with folded hands and as she neared the pyre she said –
“If my heart had never distanced itself from rAghava, then let the eternal witness of the worlds, agni protect me.
If I am of pure conduct and unlike what rAghava is suspecting then may I be protected by the eternal witness of the world, agni.
If I have never transgressed rAghava who is versed in every dharma in thoughts, words or deeds, then may I be protected by agni.
The lord Aditya (Sun), vAyu (wind), the quarters, chandra (moon), the day, the night, the earth and the sandhyas are aware of my pure conduct”.
यथा मे हृदयं नित्यम् नापसर्पति राघवात् ।
तथा लोकस्य साक्षी माम् सर्वतः पातु पावकः ॥
यथा मां शुद्धचारित्राम् दुष्टां जानाति राघवः ।
तथा लोकस्य साक्षी माम् सर्वतः पातु पावकः ॥
कर्मणा मनसा वाचा यथा नातिचराम्यहम् ।
राघवं सर्वधर्मज्ञम् तथा मां पातु पावकः ॥
With these words, seeking protection from agni, sItA circumambulated the pyre and without any bother she entered it even as the huge crowd assembled there including old, young and women watched. She was decked in radiant golden ornaments and had herself radiated golden hues as she entered the fire. All the three words watched her enter the fire and it was like the offering of ghee into a sacrificial fire. This disturbed the assembled crowd and they cried in great panic at this (unexpected turn).
Here we conclude the one hundred and sixteenth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.117. Gods rush to remind rAma!
Previous: 6.115. The king’s dharma brings a twist
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
