July 26 - Sargas 117 and 118 of Ayodhya Kanda.
Sri Rama decides to move away from Chitrakuta.
The three meet sage Atri and his famous tapasivini wife Sati Anasuya. She confers precious advice on Sita and also lots of divine gifts.
***
After the large group of ascetics had vacated Chitrakuta, Sri Rama also decided that they should move away.
इह मे भरतो दृष्टो मातरश्च सनागराः ।
सा च मे स्मृतिरन्वेति तान्नित्यमनुशोचतः ॥
"Dear Sita and Lakshmana, this place is always fresh with memories of the way Bharata, our mothers, and all the citizens had come and beseeched me to return to Ayodhya. Memories of their distress beset me here with grief. Let us, therefore, move away."
Sri Rama also says that the sudden arrival of the large army with so many horses, elephants, and other animals (and men) had pretty much defiled the place with the excreta of horses and elephants. The place therefore had become quite dirty.
***
The three proceed to meet sage Atri living in that same region. We would remember that sage Atri is a famous sage from Vedic times. The god Dattatreya as well as Chandra and Shukra were born to him as sons by the blessing received by his famous wife Anasuya from Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva when they came to test her spiritual purity. That is another story.
***
स्वयमाथित्यमादिश्य सर्वमस्य सुसत्कृतम् ।
सौमित्रीं च महाभागं सीतां च समसान्त्वयत् ॥
पत्नीं च तामनुप्राप्तां वृद्धामामन्त्र्य सत्कृताम् ।
सान्त्वयामास धर्मज्ञः सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥
अनसूयां महाभागां तापसीं धर्मचारिणीम् ।
प्रतिगृह्णीष्व वैदेहीमब्रवीदृषिसत्तमः ॥
"Sage Atri received and extended all hospitality to the three of them, Sri Rama, the noble Lakshmana, and Sita, and spoke very kind words to them all.
"Just then the very aged Sati Anasuya, Atri's wife, came back to the ashram (perhaps from a visit to the river or the forest). Sage Atri greeted her with respect and again spoke kind words. The sage was wise in Dharma and showed consideration for all creation.
"Addressing the pious and noble Anasuya, renowned for her adherence to Dharma, the supreme sage Atri requested her to receive and take care of Sita."
Sage Atri informed them that Anasuya was known in the three worlds as an extraordinary tapasvini. She was the mother of Dattatreya, Chandra and Shukra. She had performed severe penance for an incredibly long period to eradicate the drought that had affected the region. She had diverted the tributary of Ganga, Mandakini, to flow into the region. Her ascetic powers had furnished roots and shoots to save people living in the region affected by the blight. In fact, Sati Anasuya was able to extend one night to a ten whole nights to save a woman and teach a lesson to the gods.
When Atri asked Anasuya to take care of Sita, Sita looked up to Sri Rama. He said, of course, Sita should go and benefit immensely from interacting with this remarkable lady sage.
(Often the example of Anasuya is quoted to show that women had their own special place in the scheme of Dharma in India for eons.)
***
Rishipatni Anasuya takes Sita aside to her inner chamber. Anasuya is very advanced in age, shaking very much like a banana tree in a strong wind. She has wrinkles and grey hairs in plenty.
She speaks to Sita with extreme kindness and even respect. She says,
त्यक्त्वा ज्ञातिजनं सीते मानंमृद्धिं च मानिनि ।
अवरुद्धं वने रामं दिष्ट्या त्वमनुगच्छसि ॥
"Dear Sita, you’re indeed blessed and noble. You left behind your people, royal honour, wealth, and comfort, to be with Rama during his exile in the forest. This could have happened only by divine grace."
Then Anassuya speaks words of deep import on how a wife should be devoted to her husband, come what may.
नगरस्थो वनस्थो वा शुभो वा यदि वाशुभः ।
यासां स्त्रीणां प्रियो भर्ता तासां लोका महोदयाः ॥
"Dear Sita, whether the husband is in the city or in the forest, whether he is good or sinful, those women who are lovingly devoted to their husbands will attain the most prosperous worlds."
Anasuya compares a husband to the merit acquired through tapas. He is a friend who will never forsake a dutiful wife. She also says those women who are only after sensual pleasures and manipulate their husbands do not understand virtue. They will incur the price of Adharma and infamy.
When Anasuya says this, Sita replies. We rarely hear Sita speak. But when she does, her words are always measured, profound in meaning, and worthy of a divine lady of noble upbringing.
Sita replies,
"Dear lady, no wonder you have spoken these true words. I know her husband is the guru to a woman. I know that a wife has to be devoted to the husband whether he is good or bad. What to say then of a husband who deserves respect for his virtues, compassion, self-control, and is ever affectionate like one's mother and father?
"Sri Rama, the valorous prince, treats Kausalya and all the other queens of Dasharatha with equal respect and affection. This gives an idea of his greatness."
Then Sita says,
आगच्छन्त्याश्च विजनं वनमेवं भयावहम् ।
समाहितं हि मे श्वश्र्वा हृदये यत् स्थिरं मम ॥
पाणिप्रदानकाले च यत् पुरा त्वग्निसंनिधौ ।
अनुशिष्टं जनन्या मे वाक्यं तदपि मे धृतम् ॥
"When I was leaving for this uninhabited and fearsome forest with Sri Rama, my mother-in-law gave me significant advice which I always carry in my heart. Long back, at the time of our wedding, when the fire ritual was going on, my dear mother gave me valuable advice on my role and duty as Sri Rama's wife. I carry that too, to this day, in my heart."
After a few more words are exchanged, a mood of great cordiality and affection prevails between Sati Anasuya and Sita. Then Anasuya says, "my dear child, I have immense spiritual powers and can confer any boon or gift you desire. I am most pleased with you and want you to ask for whatever you desire."
Sita replies that she feels blessed by the very meeting with a great lady like Anasuya and her words of wisdom and blessings that Sita has received are more than enough and she desires no more gifts or boons.
Sati Anasuya is now even more charmed by Sita's nobility and grace. She manifests by her spiritual powers the rarest of ornaments, clothes, perfumes, and unguents. She confers all of it to a very grateful Sita with the blessing that Sita will remain always beautiful and fresh in them with no fading or soiling of the clothes and ornaments. She will be like Sri Lakshmi herself in the company of Lord Vishnu.
Then Anasuya says she wants to ask Sita something. She has heard of the wonderful swayamvara that took place when Sri Rama won Sita's hand. She wants to hear it straight from Sita herself, in detail.
Valmiki charms us with Sita's joyful narrative. She says that she was found as an infant in a bejewelled casket by a childless king Janaka while tilling his yajna bhumi ceremonially. He was delighted beyond words to accept her and bring her up as his first child. He was a famous king and known for many great qualities all over.
When Sita reached a marriageable age, Janaka was plunged into worry about finding a suitable match for her. Sita compares the woes of a father fussing about finding a match for his daughter to a man worried after financial ruin.
King Janaka had received Lord Shiva's divine bow and arrows through the god Aruna. He decided to hold a swayamvara where any eligible king could come and pick up and string the bow and win Sita's hand. However, the divine bow would not budge for anyone. Nobody could even grasp it or move it. Then the handsome princes Rama and Lakshmana came along with sage Vishwamitra. On the sage's instruction, Sri Rama approached the bow and easily lifted it up and while stringing it, the bow broke and made an earth-shaking noise.
King Janaka was delighted beyond measure and offered Sita's hand. Sri Rama then said that he would accept her as his bride only after getting consent from his father, king Dasharatha. The two kings met at once and there was the happy union of Sri Rama and Sita.
एवं दत्तास्मि रामाय तदा तस्मिन्स्वयमवरे ।
अनुरक्तास्मि धर्मेण पतिं वीर्यवतां वरम् ॥
"Thus have I been given in marriage to Sri Rama in the swayamvara that happened then. As his righteously wedded wife, I am deeply in love with my husband Sri Rama, who is supreme among brave and valorous men."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
