November 23 - Sargas 66 and 67 of Sundara Kanda.
Sri Rama is deeply affected by the sight of the precious Choodamani. He is flooded with thoughts of Sita. He asks Hanuman to narrate Sita's message in detail to him.
***
Sri Rama tells King Sugriva, his eyes brimming with tears, that his heart is overflowing with feeling on beholding the Choodamani, much as a cow starts shedding milk from her udder at the sight of her milch calf.
मणिरत्नमिदं दत्तं वैदेह्याः श्वशुरेण मे ।
वधूकाले यथा बद्धमधिकं मूर्ध्नि शोभते ॥
अयं हि शोभते तस्याः प्रियाया मूर्ध्नि मे मणिः ।
अद्यास्य दर्शनेनाहं प्राप्तां तामिव चिन्तये ॥
इतस्तु कं दुःखतरं यदिमं वारिसम्बवम् ।
मणिं पश्यामि सौमित्रे वैदेहीमागतां विना ॥
"Oh, King Sugriva, this sacred Choodamani was given during our wedding by my father-in-law to Sita. The image of Sita looking so beautiful, wearing this Choodamani on her head at our wedding is indescribable. Indeed this is no earthly jewel. It was worshipped by the gods after it emerged from the ocean (at the time of churning of the ocean.). It was given by Lord Indra to King Janaka when he was greatly pleased by the King's yajna.
"This jewel deserves to be only adorning my beloved Sita. In fact, I can strongly feel Sita's presence just touching it.
"Oh, Lakshmana, what can be more distressing than this, that I am able to touch and hold this sacred Mani, but there is no Sita here wearing it."
Sri Rama. holding back his great grief, asks Hanuman to tell everything that Sita said to him, leaving no detail. He says everything that Hanuman speaks about Sita is like a spring of cool water for a thirsty person. Sri Rama wonders how Sita can survive a whole month alone when he cannot live even for a moment longer without the black-eyed Vaidehi Sita. He asks Hanuman to take him to where Sita is, right now. He wonders how such a timid and tender young lady like Sita could survive the horror of being surrounded by those dreadful rakshasas and rakshasis.
***
Hanuman tells Sri Rama the story that Sita narrated - of his launching Brahmastra at the Kakasura crow in Chitrakuta when he came and hurt Devi Sita between her breasts. Sri Rama was angry like a five-hooded serpent when he discovered what the crow had done. Even without raising his head from Sita's lap, Sri Rama took a blade of darbha grass, invoked Brahmastra and sent it after Kakasura. Kakasura could not save himself despite being the son of Indra, flying at the speed of the wind, and supplicating to all the gods and rishis for protection. Nobody dared defy Sri Rama's Brahmastra. At last Sri Rama alone gave him protection after he came begging for mercy and allowed him to stay alive, taking only his right eye as the target for the Brahmastra.
Sita has now asked Hanuman to convey her questions to Sri Rama: Oh Lord, you are supreme among wielders of weapons, truthful and powerful. How come you are not directing your arrows at these rakshasas? None - asuras, nagas, marutas, gandharvas, can face Sri Rama in battle. If at all you care for me, you would certainly slay Ravana at once with your infallible arrows. Why has even Lakshmana not come to save me, on order from Sri Rama? Has my stock of good karma run out?"
Hanuman tells Sri Rama. "On hearing these words from Vaidehi, I told her you are grieving for her such that nothing else matters to you. Your grief is reflected in Lakshmana, too."
"Somehow, Devi Sita, I have managed to locate you. Therefore this is no time for grief. Very soon, the warrior brothers will come and save you, after burning down Lanka. It is certain that Sri Rama will slay Ravana with all his people and take you home soon. Please give me now a token that Sri Rama will instantly recognize as coming from you."
"Devi Sita then looked around, and making sure nobody saw this, she took out the sacred Choodamani from a knot she had tied it up in, in the corner of her garment. She said it had been carefully preserved for that moment. Taking the jewel, bowing down to her, repeatedly reassuring her, I took off."
"She was most distressed to see me go and repeatedly told me that I should tell you both, Sri Rama and Lakshmana, to come at once and rescue her."
इदं च तीव्रं मम शोकवेगं
रक्षीभिरेभिः परिभर्त्सनं च ।
ब्रूयात् रामस्य गतः समीपं
शिवश्च तेऽध्वास्तु हरिप्रवीर ॥
"Oh supreme vanara, Hanuman! Please tell about this state of mine - my utter distress and the plight of suffering constant torment by these rakshasis. Please go and tell this as soon as you get close to Sri Rama. May all good come to you, and may your journey be safe and quick!"
"श्रद्धस्व सीतां कुशलां समग्राम् "Please tell Sri Rama all this, and that Sita remains totally faithful and happy in her devotion to Sri Rama."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
