August 26 - Sargas 59 and 60 of Aranya Kanda.
Sri Rama takes Lakshmana to task for forsaking Sita and going to find Sri Rama when they all knew what dangers lurked for Sita from the rakshasas. After listening to Sri Rama for sometime, Lakshmana replies, full of sorrow and resignation, how he was reassuring Sita that the wild and desperate cry they had heard in Sri Rama's voice could never be his as he would never be conquered or overpowered by any enemy in battle.
Lakshmana's total refusal to leave her side and go had drawn some extremely unpleasant words from Sita, senseless with anger and panic :
एवमुक्ता तु वैदेही परिमोहितचेतना ।
उवाचाश्रूणि मुञ्चन्ती दारुणं मामिदं वचः ॥
भावो मयि तवात्यर्थपाप एव निवेशितः ।
विनष्टे भ्रातरि प्राप्तुं न च त्वं मामवाप्स्यसे ॥
संकेताद् भरतेन त्वं मदर्थमनुगच्छसि ।
क्रोशन्तं हि यथात्यर्थं नैनमभ्यवपद्यसे ॥
Lakshmana replied to Sri Rama, "After hearing my repeated assurances that nothing untoward would have happened to you, that we should ignore those terrible cries for help in your voice, Vaidehi replied, totally driven insane by panic and grief, shedding copious tears, the following most painful words:
"Shame on you Lakshmana, you are hoping I will become yours after Sri Rama dies like this. This sinful desire of yours will be dashed as you shall never get me.
"For sure, you have been directed by Bharata and you're desiring me. That's why you are ignoring Sri Rama's desperate cries for help and not stirring from here to go help him!"
"Nothing I said to her made any impact. These and more such words of Maithili provoked me to extreme rage, Sri Rama. I am indeed very sorry that I rushed out with my eyes blazing red in anger to go and find you at once."
Sri Rama is not at all convinced by Lakshmana's words. He says,
सर्वथा त्वपनीतं ते सीतया यत् प्रचोदितः ।
क्रोधस्य वशमागत्य नाकरोः शासनं मम ॥
"Lakshmana, you have totally disobeyed my order just because you were provoked by Sita's words. Something we all know is that women have a tendency to say such words. You succumbed to anger and came away, exposing Sita to the gravest danger."
Lakshmana is thus further gutted.
***
Sri Rama again franticallly searches every corner of the hermitage. All the articles are strewn about and everything is in disarray. They rush out and search fitfully in every place.
हृता मृता वा नष्टा वा भक्षिता वा भविष्यति ।
निलीनाप्यथवा भीरुरथवा वनमाश्रिता ॥
गता विचेतुं पुष्पाणि फलान्यपि च वा पुनः ।
अथवा पद्मिनीं याता जलार्थं वा नदीं गता ॥
Sri Rama muses aloud, "Timid by nature, poor Sita must have been abducted, or killed, or eaten up by wild animals. Or is it oossible she is playing hide and seek with me? Or gone and got lost in the forest?
" Or perhaps... She has gone just to gather some flowers and fruits? Or gone to some lotus pond to pick some beautiful lotuses? Or perhaps to the river for a bath.....?"
***
Wherever Sri Rama goes, he is crying out for Sita. He begins to speak deliriously to trees and animals, asking where is his dear Sita! Valmiki the master story-teller pretty much twists the dagger into our hearts as he lists every tree that Sri Rama addresses, with colourful metaphors that compare Sita's beauty and her goodness to that tree's charms, finally begging, "please tell me, where is my Sita!"
भ्रमरैरुपगीतश्च यथा द्रुमवरो ह्ययम् ।
एष व्यक्तं विजानाति तिलकस्तिलकप्रियाम् ॥
"This supreme Tilaka tree is buzzing with bees crowding around his flowers. Why is he not telling me the whereabouts of my beloved Sita, who is so fond of putting the Tilaka on her forehead!? "
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
