||Sri Ram Jeyram Jay Jay Ram ||

Chapter – 12 – Ayodhya Kandam

The conversation between Rama and Devi Sita

Devi Kausalya speaks “The Supreme Lord has created the daughters of Kiratha and Kola who do not take interest in worldly matters, to live in the forest. Their hearts as rock and they have no problem living in harsh situations in the forest. The Tapasvis and saintly men who have abandoned all the worldly matters could live in that dense forest. Oh! Son, Sita gets scared of a portrait of a monkey, how did she live in the forest? How did a female swan lives in the Manas Saras get used to the mud pond? Kindly think about all these, and I will advise her as you wish. If she lives at home that would be a great help to me.” Rama listened to that soft and compassionate words of Devi Kausalya and began to advise Devi Sita about the hardships in the forest.

Rama was reluctant to speak anything to Sita in front of his mother, but he decided to take the matter seriously and spoke “ Oh! Princess, kindly listen to my advice, do not mistake me. If you wish for the welfare of me and you, then you have to follow my advice and stay at home. You have to follow my words and take care of your mother-in-law. Oh! Bhamini, it is advisable to stay at home for you, a virtuous woman attains an abundance of piousness by serving her elderly in-laws. Oh! Priye, you should comfort her by narrating the legends from scriptures whenever my mother gets worried about my safety, Oh! Sundari, I am leaving you with my mother for her service. You can live here without any sufferings, and you will attain all the piousness with the performance duties prescribed in the scriptures, otherwise, it would bring endless troubles as in the life of Sage Gavala and King Nahusha.”

Gavala was the disciple of Sage Vishwamithra, once he completed education under the guidance, he requested Sage Vishwamithra to ask for Gurudhakshina. Sage Vishwamithra discouraged him, but Gavala repeatedly approached the Sage with the same request, therefore Sage Vishwamithra asked him to bring thousands of white horses with black ears, later he had to face a lot of troubles to produce these kinds of horses before the preceptor.

King Nahusha was appointed as the King of deities, Indra, when Devendra was afflicted with the Bhramahathya sin. Once, King Nahusha met Devi Shachi who is the chaste wife of Devendra and fallen in love with her, Devi Shachi informed Sage Bhrihaspathi about it was made an effort to keep away King Nahusha from the path of Devi Shachi was not worked. Hence Sage Bhrihaspathi advised Devi Shachi, and eventually informed Nahusha to arrive in a palanquin carried by the Saptharishis and approach her, and then she would yield for his desires. Thus, the Saptharishis carried a palanquin in which King Nahusha was comfortably seated, he lost his good sense was completely blind by love for Devi Shachi. The Saptharishis were moving with the palanquin became tired, eventually the speed has reduced, but Nahusha could not control his anger, he impatiently gave a kick on Sage Agasthya and ordered to speed up was cursed by the Sage, to become the serpent, thus King Nahusha assumed the form of a serpent.

Rama speaks “Oh! Sumukhi, Oh! Intelligent one,  I will follow the command of my father and return home safely, the days will fly like anything. Oh! Sundari, kindly listen to my words, otherwise, if you are firm in your decision due to extreme love towards me, it may bring afflictions to you. The wood has unpredictable weather conditions, sometimes it will have extreme heat or cold, torrential rains, storms, and wind.  The forest is full of rough pathways, filled with sword-like grasses, and thorns. You have to walk through the harsh roads without footwear, your lotus-like feet are supple and soft; it would be difficult for you to walk through the hills, mountains, ponds, streams, caves, etc. and these are extremely dangerous to cross, and deep and life-threatening as well.  The roar of lions and cries of untamed elephants and wild animals would create intense trepidations even in the valorous men. You have to sleep on the floor, have to wear saffron robes, there will be fiber roots available to eat, and possible to eat what’s available according to the season. There will be horrific demons who consume human meats, they assume various forms and threaten humans. The watercourses in the hills and forest are extremely toxic, it is impossible to describe the dangers in the forest. There will be numerous species of birds and venomous serpents, there are several demons who steal the male and females in the forest, even the extremely valorous person would get terrified listening to their boisterous voices. Oh! Sundari, you are not born to live in the forest, Oh! Mriganayani,  you are very soft and kind-hearted, if I took you to forest the people will blame me. How a female swan that lived in the sweet waters of Manas Saras survive in the ocean waters? How a cuckoo that lived in the garden of mango trees survive in the dense forest? Therefore I would suggest you stay at home, Oh! Chandramukhi, life in the forest is too harsh. The person, who is not willing to follow the advice of a preceptor, companion, or Master, would always go through the troubles and regret in the future.” Devi Sita’s eyes flooded with tears after listening to the soft and most appropriate words of her dearest darling. It pained her like the sight of autumn moon spread grief to Chakora bird; Vaidhehi could not speak a word. She could not bear the thought of separation from her lovely husband who is the abode of peace and happiness.

The daughter of Mother Earth, stopped her tears and fallen at the feet of her mother-in-law and began to speak “Devi, kindly forgive me for my mistakes, my dear husband has pronounced all that favorable to me. I have understood one thing, there is nothing difficult and painful than the separation from my husband. Oh! Prananatha, who is the abode of compassion, kindness, bliss, welfare, beauty, and omnipresent, Oh! Chandra of the cluster of lotus-like the clan of Raghu, heaven seems hell in your absence. A woman without a husband cannot live in peace and happiness even though she is surrounded by all those relatives, father, mother, brothers, sisters, companions, in-laws, preceptors, attendants, and children with good-natured. In the absence of her husband, everything would seem like scorching heat of the mid-noon sun. The life, wealth, house, lands, possessions, kingdom, etc. are a cluster of sorrow for a woman without a husband, the ornaments are heavy for her, and the life on the Earth is painful as in the hell. Oh! Prananatha, in this world I have nothing precious and promising other than you. Oh! Swami, a woman without a husband is dead as alive, and river without water, Oh! Natha, I will live happily with you always, watching your lovely face resembles a cloudless autumn moon. Those birds and animals would become my relatives, the forest would become my city, and the saffron robe would become my pure garments. Oh!Natha, the hermitage ours would be the abode of deities. The most gracious Vanadevatha and Vanadeva would protect me like my in-laws, the beds made out of grass and tender leaves would excel the bed of Kamadeva, whatever available fiber roots would make our meal sumptuous, the hills would resemble the fortress of Ayodhya, I would live like the Chakravaha and take great pleasure in serving Your lotus feet. You have described the endless miseries in forest life, the fears, pains, struggles, etc. I am prepared to suffer all that, Oh! Kripanidhe, those troubles would not be as hard as the pain of separation from you. Oh! Gnanashiromane, kindly take me to the forest with you, kindly do not leave me in the palace. Oh! Sarvantharyami, resides as a soul in living beings, Oh! Prabho you are the knower of all, Oh! Dheenabandho, Oh!Sundara, Oh! Sukhapradha, Oh! Susheela, Oh! Snehanidhe, If you leave me in the palace of Ayodhya and proceed to the forest, you cannot see me alive when you return home after fourteen years.”