August 27 - Sargas 61 and 62 of Aranya Kanda.
The sargas are full of distressing descriptions of a desperate and dismayed Sri Rama's lamentations about the disappearance of his dearer-than-life Sita. Lakshmana tries to keep his morale up but in vain.
***
अदृष्ट्वा तत्र वैदेहीं संनिरीक्ष्य च सर्वशः ।
उवाच रामः प्राकृश्य प्रगृह्य रुचिरौ भुजौ ॥
क्व नु लक्ष्मण वैदेही कं वा देशमितो गता।
केनाहृता वा सौमित्रे भक्षिता केन वा प्रिया ॥
"After not finding Sita in the hermitage, and searching everywhere in vain for her, Sri Rama held, in agitation and anger, Lakshmana's two beautiful shoulders firmly, shook him, and asked, " Oh Lakshmana, where, where is Vaidehi!? Where has she gone away? By whom has she been abducted? Or eaten up? Or what else happened to my most dear Sita!?"
What could Lakshmana say?
Sri Rama then thought how he would not survive in this world without Sita, and therefore land up meeting his deceased father, King Dasharatha in the next world soon. The king would ask him petulantly, "What, Rama, was my order not clear to you? Why have you come and met me prematurely, before completing fourteen years in Dandaka!? You have failed me, Rama!"
Lakshamana ventures that Sita was fond of the caves surrounded by flowering trees and bushes in the mountains. Maybe Sita would be hiding there. They spend hours searching for her all over the mountains.
Sri Rama calls out, "Enough of this teasing, Maithili! Don't have fun at my expense! Please reveal yourself!!!"
Hours pass. Repeatedly, the two comb the forest again and again. There is no sign of Sita. Sri Rama cries out, "Oh Sita, don't you see? All the trees are distressed. All the lovely deer are shedding tears at your absence. Are you hiding your comely limbs behind the leaves and creepers and trees to deceive me? Enough, enough of this torment!"
Then Sri Rama imagines what would be King Janaka's reaction if Sri Rama went back alone, without Sita. How would Sri Rama face Sita's father? Impossible.
Sri Rama tells Lakshmana that he will not go back to Ayodhya ever. Lakshmana should go back and somehow manage everybody - Sumitra, Kaikeyi and Kausalya. Sri Rama would now never return to Bharata-ruled Ayodhya. Ever.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
