Jay Shri Sita-Rama, Jay Shri Hanuman!
It's been more than a year since I last posted. Should have done this last year when Shiksha delivered this talk at the Sri Sarada Devi Ashram during Shri Rama Naumi, (not too many posts from Bharat on Bharat's Throne of Thought is there?!) but nevertheless here it is! Disclaimer applies as usual: time was limited and scope too large to do justice, but it is hoped that it stimulates some thought...
Best wishes to all, especially those observing Ramayan Week (as we in South Africa call it)
The Ramcharitmanas, or Tulsi Ramayan is made up of seven kaands or chapters. Of these, the Sundarkaand is the most popular. Sundar literally means beautiful. Hence Sundarkaand refers to the beautiful chapter of the Ramcaritmansa. While the other six kaands are prefixed by either a time of life, as in Balkaand, or place which presents the main backdrop, the fifth chapter, the Sundarkaand is prefixed by a word. The sheer beauty of the poetry, the philosophy, the thoughts and the emotions depicted in the Sundarkaand is the reason for the name of its title.
But what does beautiful mean? According to Wikipedia, beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. The experience of "beauty" often involves an interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being.
In addition, in order for something to be Sundar it has to be Purna or complete and beautiful in all respects. For example, someone may have the most beautiful eyes but if their nose is missing that person would not be considered beautiful. Hence the Sundarkand is beautiful, complete and perfect in all respects and, like the Bhagavad Gita stands out from the Mahabharata of which it is a part, the Sundarkand stands apart from the rest of the Ramcaritmanas. There are large numbers of devotees who do not read the entire Ramcaritmanas but regularly recite the Sundarkaand with faith and devotion.
The leading character in the Sundarkaand is Hanumanji in whom we find the perfect Bhakti yogi, Jnana yogi, and Karma yogi. Therefore Swami Vivekananda promoted Hanumanji as the perfect role model when he said: “You have now to make the character of Mahavira your ideal. See how at the command of Ramachandra he crossed the ocean. He had no care for life or death! He was a perfect master of his senses and wonderfully sagacious. You have now to build your life on this great ideal of personal service. Through that, all other ideals will gradually manifest in life.”
There is a popular shloka that says
Sundare sundaree Seetaa, Sundare sundaree kathaa.
Sundare sundaree vaartaa, Sundare kim na sundaram.
It is translated as ‘In the Sundarkaand, Mother Sita is beautiful, the story is beautiful and the dialogue is beautiful. What is there in the Sundarkaand that is not beautiful?'
Unfortunately due to time constraints we cannot cover the entire Sundarkaand but will only briefly cover those parts of the Sundarkaand leading to the first meeting of Hanumanji and Mother Sita. The discussion will be mainly looked at through the parameters of the shloka quoted above viz. the beauty of Mother Sita, the beauty of the katha and the beauty of some of the dialogues. We will look at the term katha not only in relation to the parts of the story that we cover but also in terms of Ramakatha as sung by Hanumanji to Vibhishana and Mother Sita.
The three Sanskrit shlokas of invocation at the commencement of the kaand give us a clue as to the events that would be described in the kaand. The first two shlokas are dedicated to Sri Rama and end with a plea to the Lord for the boon of intense devotion to His lotus feet. The third shloka is dedicated to Hanumanji where he is described as being virtuous, wise, powerful, a protector of the good and the destroyer of evil.
Tulsidasji begins the katha with Hanumanji’s journey to Lanka to locate Mother Sita. This journey, which at a deeper spiritual level represents our search for the Divine, is not without trials and tribulations, indicating to us that the path of spirituality has many obstacles. Not all obstacles are the same and hence they need to be handled differently. Hanumanji being the embodiment of strength, knowledge and discrimination shows us how to identify and handle each type of obstacle.
Whilst searching Lanka for Mother Sita, Hanumanji came across the house of Vibhishan which had Tulsi plants in the courtyard and the weapons of Sri Rama painted on the walls. As Vibhishan awoke from his slumber reciting the name of Sri Rama, Hanumanji recognised him to be a devotee of the Lord and decided to meet him assuming the form of a brahmin. When Vibhishan enquired of Hanumanji as to his identity, Hanumanji narrated the katha of the Lord and mentions his identity in relation to the katha showing that Hanumanji's entire sense of being revolved around the Lord. Then ensued a beautiful dialogue between Hanumanji and Vibhishan who tells Hanumanji about how he yearned for the grace of God, but felt unworthy of it. Hanumanji assured him of the constant affection of the Lord for his devotees and with tearful eyes Hanumanji recalled how he himself had received the grace of the Lord. By speaking of the Lord's wonderful attributes, the two devotees derived unspeakable solace, thus depicting the glory of satsangh.
This meeting had a tremendous effect on Vibhishan. Previously Vibhishan was essentially a good person but due to the fear of his own safety and wellbeing, he compromised with evil represented by his brother Ravan. He described his plight as being that of the tongue that lives in the midst of the teeth. Although he was a devotee of Sri Rama, he did not confront his brother about abducting Mother Sita even though he knew all too well Her plight on separation from the Lord. Satsangh with Hanumanji infused him with courage which is displayed later in the Sundarkaand.
Vibhishana then directed Hanumanji to the Ashoka grove where Mother Sita was being held captive. Hanumanji assumed a minute form and entered the grove. He mentally bowed to Her and hid in the branches of the Ashoka tree under which She sat, Her body emaciated, eyes fixed on Her own feet but Her mind absorbed in the thought of Sri Rama's feet.
As Hanumanji pondered on how to approach Her, Ravan entered with his entourage of women. He tried in many ways to get Mother Sita to succumb to his advances, even offering to make Her his chief queen and Mandodari and the other queens her handmaids. Placing a blade of grass between Herself and Ravan, She addressed him saying “Listen, O ten-headed monster: can a lotus flower ever expand in the glow of a fire-fly? Ponder this at heart, perhaps you have no idea what Shri Rama's shafts are like, O wretch. You carried me off at a time when there was none by my side; yet you do not feel ashamed, O vile and impudent rogue!” The words of Mother Sita cut him to the quick and he rushed forth brandishing his sword, threatening to cut off Her head if she did not obey his command. Fearlessly She retorted that either the beautiful lotus like arms of Her Lord or Ravan's dreadful sword shall have Her neck. Addressing the sword which was given to Ravana by Lord Shiva She said: “Take away the burning anguish of my heart caused by the fire of separation from the Lord of Raghus. You possess a cool, sharp and good blade; therefore relieve the burden of my sorrow.” As Ravan went forward to kill Her, Queen Mandodari intervened and pacified him with words of good counsel. Ravan left having given orders to the demonesses posted there to intimidate Mother Sita so that She would accept his advances. If in a month She refused, he would behead Her.
As the demonesses began to intimidate Mother Sita, a demoness by the name of Trijata stopped them. She told them of her dream in which a monkey came and burnt the city of Lanka and of a terrible battle in which Ravan was killed and the entire demon army destroyed by Shri Rama. She convinced them that this dream was a prophecy and it was in their best interest to serve Mother Sita.
After they fell at Mother Sita's feet and went their own way, Mother Sita sat dreading the month of separation from Shri Rama before She would be killed by Ravan. She pleaded to Trijata to arrange a pyre so that She could immolate Herself in the name of Her Lord. Trijata tried to console Her by recounting the majesty, might and glory of the Lord and left making the excuse that no fire could be had at that hour in the hope that Mother Sita would change Her mind by the morning.
There are some people who criticise Mother Sita saying that She cannot be an ideal for modern women; that she represents an era when a woman's identity revolved around her husband, when women were weak, docile and pushovers. That view is based on a superficial understanding of what a woman's power really is. Mother Sita was respectful of Her elders and was obedient when presented with wishes that were not in dissonance with Her personal values, which in reality are spiritual values based on scriptural injuctions. She had a naturally delicate and timid nature but at the same time she was fearless in the face of difficulties and when faced by brutes. We read in the Sundarkaand how the devatas and guardians of the quarters stood trembling in front of Ravan yet Mother Sita, alone and captive in a state of anguish for months, intrepidly stands up to Ravan and refuses to give up her dharma for all the riches and inducements that have us enslaved.
It is in the most glowing words that Swami Vivekananda speaks of Mother Sita: “You may exhaust the literature of the world that is past, and I may assure you that you will have to exhaust the literature of the world of the future, before finding another Sita. Sita is unique; that character was depicted once and for all. There may have been several Ramas, perhaps, but never more than one Sita! She is the very type of the true Indian woman, for all the Indian ideals of a perfected woman have grown out of that one life of Sita; and here she stands these thousands of years, commanding the worship of every man, woman, and child throughout the length and breadth of the land of Âryâvarta. There she will always be, this glorious Sita, purer than purity itself, all patience, and all suffering. She who suffered that life of suffering without a murmur, she the ever-chaste and ever-pure wife, she the ideal of the people, the ideal of the gods, the great Sita, our national God she must always remain. All our mythology may vanish, even our Vedas may depart and our Sanskrit language may vanish for ever, but so long as there will be five Hindus living here, there will be the story of Sita present, mark my words. She has gone into the very vitals of our race. She is there in the blood of every Hindu man and woman. We are all children of Sita.”
There are also some who are of the opinion that women cannot be expected to be like Sita if the men are not like Rama and vice versa. Of course the world would be a much better place if all men were like Rama and all women like Sita, but using this line of thought to justify non Rama and Sita like behaviour creates a society of Ravanas and Surpanakhas. The Sundarkaand emphasises the point of personal responsibility through characters like Mandodari and Trijata, who though being in a demonic environment still possess divine qualities.
When Mother Sita was alone, She continued Her lamentation saying that of the moon and all the stars in the sky, not a single spark of fire comes to end Her wretchedness. Finally she addressed the Ashoka tree stating that its fresh leaves were of the colour of flames and begged it to supply Her with fire. Hanumanji took this opportunity and dropped the ring of Sri Rama. Thinking that the Ashoka tree had answered Her prayer and had thrown down a spark, She sprang up with joy and took it in Her hand. When She saw the ring with the name of Shri Rama beautifully engraved on it, She instantly recognised it with a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow. She knew that Her Lord was invincible and at the same time the ring could not be conjured by magic and was thus confused as to how the ring got there.
As she sat perplexed, Hanumanji sweetly began to recount Shri Rama's praises. As soon as She heard Hanumanji's words Her grief took flight. She listened with all Her soul while Hanumanji narrated the entire Ramakatha. The words of Tulsidasji are profound indeed. Earlier Trijata had tried to console Mother Sita by recounting the glories of the Lord but it did not remove Her anxiety. Now when Hanumanji narrated the katha of the Lord, Her sorrow was removed! The difference is that firstly, as Shri Ramakarishna has emphasised, Hanumanji is a comissioned messenger of the Lord and hence His words have an immediate effect; and secondly as Tulsidasji stressed, Mother Sita listened with all Her soul to the katha.
Mother Sita then called out to whoever had narrated the katha to show himself. Thereupon Hanumanji approached Her and She turned Her back to him out of shock. This reaction of Mother Sita shows that despite the emotional strain of Her captivity, Her heart was not hardened nor did She loose Her innocence, bashfulness and timidity that She had before She accompanying Lord Rama to the forest. When Mother Kaushalya was trying to dissuade Her from going to the forest, one of the arguments that she had used was that Mother Sita was so timid that She would get frightened on seeing just a picture of a monkey.
Hanumanji though did not feel perturbed or insulted by this reaction of Mother Sita. With his gentle, soothing and earnest words he managed to win Her confidence and Mother Sita, recognising him to be a servant of the Lord in thought, word and deed, developed an intense affection for him.
She enquired from Hanumanji about the welfare of Shri Rama and Lakshman and wanted to know why the tender hearted and compassionate Lord had left Her to suffer for so long. Then, with tears in Her eyes, she asked Hanumanji if She would ever be able to see the Lord again.
Seeing Her distress due to Her separation from the Lord, Hanumanji spoke to Her in soft and polite accents. He said that Shri Rama and Lakshman were both doing well except for the fact that the all-merciful Lord was sorrowful because of Her sorrow. He assured her that Sri Rama loved Her twice as much as She loved Him. Hanumanji then related Shri Rama’s message which described the agonising pain He suffered as a result of their separation. As She heard the Lord’s message Mother Sita was so absorbed in love that She lost all Consciousness of Her body. Hanumanji then reassured Her that Shri Rama would definitely come to rescue Her and destroy the demon race.
Mother Sita expressed some misgivings on the matter saying that all the monkeys must be tiny like Hanumanji whereas the demons were huge and mighty warriors. On hearing this Hanumanji revealed his natural form, colossal as a mountain of gold, terrible in battle, possessing great strength and full of valour. Mother Sita then took comfort in Her heart and Hanumanji resumed his diminutive appearance. He said to Mother Sita that monkeys possess neither great strength nor intelligence, but due to the grace of the Lord, they had become brilliant, mighty and invincible.
Hanumanji’s words reminded Mother Sita of Shri Rama’s majesty, glory and power and She felt gratified at heart to see Hanumanji’s boundless devotion. She gave him Her blessings saying “May you be a repository of strength and virtue, dear child. May you ever remain immune from old age and death and may Shri Rama shower His abundant grace on you.” The moment he heard the words “May the Lord shower his abundant grace on you”, he was utterly overwhelmed with emotion. Again and again he fell at Her feet and said “I have now accomplished all that I had to accomplish, dear Mother, for your blessings can never fail.”
Just like Vibhishan and Mother Sita, we too at certain points of our life begin to question our self-worth and doubt whether God is concerned with our plight. The message of hope that Hanumanji brings to them is a message that he brings to us as well. Sometimes we are like Vibhishan when the obstacle between us and the Lord is our own fear and misplaced attachment to negative qualities and or people. By heeding the clarion call of Hanumanji we get the strength and courage to face and renounce these inner demons. At other times we are like Mother Sita, in a completely helpless situation. Hanumanji gives us the courage to persevere and a gives us the reassurance that the Lord loves us more than we know, that He is concerned for us and that He Himself will deliver us from our suffering.
Tulsidasji concludes the Sundarkaand with a description of the benefits accrued from its recitation which wipes out the impurities of the Kali age. The excellences of Shri Rama described in the Sundarkaand are an abode of delight, a cure for all doubt and an unfailing remedy for sorrow. Devotees should therefore chant and hear it over and over again. A recitation of the Sundarkaand bestows all blessings and those who reverently hear it will easily cross the ocean of birth and death and attain their salvation.
It's been more than a year since I last posted. Should have done this last year when Shiksha delivered this talk at the Sri Sarada Devi Ashram during Shri Rama Naumi, (not too many posts from Bharat on Bharat's Throne of Thought is there?!) but nevertheless here it is! Disclaimer applies as usual: time was limited and scope too large to do justice, but it is hoped that it stimulates some thought...
Best wishes to all, especially those observing Ramayan Week (as we in South Africa call it)
The Ramcharitmanas, or Tulsi Ramayan is made up of seven kaands or chapters. Of these, the Sundarkaand is the most popular. Sundar literally means beautiful. Hence Sundarkaand refers to the beautiful chapter of the Ramcaritmansa. While the other six kaands are prefixed by either a time of life, as in Balkaand, or place which presents the main backdrop, the fifth chapter, the Sundarkaand is prefixed by a word. The sheer beauty of the poetry, the philosophy, the thoughts and the emotions depicted in the Sundarkaand is the reason for the name of its title.
But what does beautiful mean? According to Wikipedia, beauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. The experience of "beauty" often involves an interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being.
In addition, in order for something to be Sundar it has to be Purna or complete and beautiful in all respects. For example, someone may have the most beautiful eyes but if their nose is missing that person would not be considered beautiful. Hence the Sundarkand is beautiful, complete and perfect in all respects and, like the Bhagavad Gita stands out from the Mahabharata of which it is a part, the Sundarkand stands apart from the rest of the Ramcaritmanas. There are large numbers of devotees who do not read the entire Ramcaritmanas but regularly recite the Sundarkaand with faith and devotion.
The leading character in the Sundarkaand is Hanumanji in whom we find the perfect Bhakti yogi, Jnana yogi, and Karma yogi. Therefore Swami Vivekananda promoted Hanumanji as the perfect role model when he said: “You have now to make the character of Mahavira your ideal. See how at the command of Ramachandra he crossed the ocean. He had no care for life or death! He was a perfect master of his senses and wonderfully sagacious. You have now to build your life on this great ideal of personal service. Through that, all other ideals will gradually manifest in life.”
There is a popular shloka that says
Sundare sundaree Seetaa, Sundare sundaree kathaa.
Sundare sundaree vaartaa, Sundare kim na sundaram.
It is translated as ‘In the Sundarkaand, Mother Sita is beautiful, the story is beautiful and the dialogue is beautiful. What is there in the Sundarkaand that is not beautiful?'
Unfortunately due to time constraints we cannot cover the entire Sundarkaand but will only briefly cover those parts of the Sundarkaand leading to the first meeting of Hanumanji and Mother Sita. The discussion will be mainly looked at through the parameters of the shloka quoted above viz. the beauty of Mother Sita, the beauty of the katha and the beauty of some of the dialogues. We will look at the term katha not only in relation to the parts of the story that we cover but also in terms of Ramakatha as sung by Hanumanji to Vibhishana and Mother Sita.
The three Sanskrit shlokas of invocation at the commencement of the kaand give us a clue as to the events that would be described in the kaand. The first two shlokas are dedicated to Sri Rama and end with a plea to the Lord for the boon of intense devotion to His lotus feet. The third shloka is dedicated to Hanumanji where he is described as being virtuous, wise, powerful, a protector of the good and the destroyer of evil.
Tulsidasji begins the katha with Hanumanji’s journey to Lanka to locate Mother Sita. This journey, which at a deeper spiritual level represents our search for the Divine, is not without trials and tribulations, indicating to us that the path of spirituality has many obstacles. Not all obstacles are the same and hence they need to be handled differently. Hanumanji being the embodiment of strength, knowledge and discrimination shows us how to identify and handle each type of obstacle.
Whilst searching Lanka for Mother Sita, Hanumanji came across the house of Vibhishan which had Tulsi plants in the courtyard and the weapons of Sri Rama painted on the walls. As Vibhishan awoke from his slumber reciting the name of Sri Rama, Hanumanji recognised him to be a devotee of the Lord and decided to meet him assuming the form of a brahmin. When Vibhishan enquired of Hanumanji as to his identity, Hanumanji narrated the katha of the Lord and mentions his identity in relation to the katha showing that Hanumanji's entire sense of being revolved around the Lord. Then ensued a beautiful dialogue between Hanumanji and Vibhishan who tells Hanumanji about how he yearned for the grace of God, but felt unworthy of it. Hanumanji assured him of the constant affection of the Lord for his devotees and with tearful eyes Hanumanji recalled how he himself had received the grace of the Lord. By speaking of the Lord's wonderful attributes, the two devotees derived unspeakable solace, thus depicting the glory of satsangh.
This meeting had a tremendous effect on Vibhishan. Previously Vibhishan was essentially a good person but due to the fear of his own safety and wellbeing, he compromised with evil represented by his brother Ravan. He described his plight as being that of the tongue that lives in the midst of the teeth. Although he was a devotee of Sri Rama, he did not confront his brother about abducting Mother Sita even though he knew all too well Her plight on separation from the Lord. Satsangh with Hanumanji infused him with courage which is displayed later in the Sundarkaand.
Vibhishana then directed Hanumanji to the Ashoka grove where Mother Sita was being held captive. Hanumanji assumed a minute form and entered the grove. He mentally bowed to Her and hid in the branches of the Ashoka tree under which She sat, Her body emaciated, eyes fixed on Her own feet but Her mind absorbed in the thought of Sri Rama's feet.
As Hanumanji pondered on how to approach Her, Ravan entered with his entourage of women. He tried in many ways to get Mother Sita to succumb to his advances, even offering to make Her his chief queen and Mandodari and the other queens her handmaids. Placing a blade of grass between Herself and Ravan, She addressed him saying “Listen, O ten-headed monster: can a lotus flower ever expand in the glow of a fire-fly? Ponder this at heart, perhaps you have no idea what Shri Rama's shafts are like, O wretch. You carried me off at a time when there was none by my side; yet you do not feel ashamed, O vile and impudent rogue!” The words of Mother Sita cut him to the quick and he rushed forth brandishing his sword, threatening to cut off Her head if she did not obey his command. Fearlessly She retorted that either the beautiful lotus like arms of Her Lord or Ravan's dreadful sword shall have Her neck. Addressing the sword which was given to Ravana by Lord Shiva She said: “Take away the burning anguish of my heart caused by the fire of separation from the Lord of Raghus. You possess a cool, sharp and good blade; therefore relieve the burden of my sorrow.” As Ravan went forward to kill Her, Queen Mandodari intervened and pacified him with words of good counsel. Ravan left having given orders to the demonesses posted there to intimidate Mother Sita so that She would accept his advances. If in a month She refused, he would behead Her.
As the demonesses began to intimidate Mother Sita, a demoness by the name of Trijata stopped them. She told them of her dream in which a monkey came and burnt the city of Lanka and of a terrible battle in which Ravan was killed and the entire demon army destroyed by Shri Rama. She convinced them that this dream was a prophecy and it was in their best interest to serve Mother Sita.
After they fell at Mother Sita's feet and went their own way, Mother Sita sat dreading the month of separation from Shri Rama before She would be killed by Ravan. She pleaded to Trijata to arrange a pyre so that She could immolate Herself in the name of Her Lord. Trijata tried to console Her by recounting the majesty, might and glory of the Lord and left making the excuse that no fire could be had at that hour in the hope that Mother Sita would change Her mind by the morning.
There are some people who criticise Mother Sita saying that She cannot be an ideal for modern women; that she represents an era when a woman's identity revolved around her husband, when women were weak, docile and pushovers. That view is based on a superficial understanding of what a woman's power really is. Mother Sita was respectful of Her elders and was obedient when presented with wishes that were not in dissonance with Her personal values, which in reality are spiritual values based on scriptural injuctions. She had a naturally delicate and timid nature but at the same time she was fearless in the face of difficulties and when faced by brutes. We read in the Sundarkaand how the devatas and guardians of the quarters stood trembling in front of Ravan yet Mother Sita, alone and captive in a state of anguish for months, intrepidly stands up to Ravan and refuses to give up her dharma for all the riches and inducements that have us enslaved.
It is in the most glowing words that Swami Vivekananda speaks of Mother Sita: “You may exhaust the literature of the world that is past, and I may assure you that you will have to exhaust the literature of the world of the future, before finding another Sita. Sita is unique; that character was depicted once and for all. There may have been several Ramas, perhaps, but never more than one Sita! She is the very type of the true Indian woman, for all the Indian ideals of a perfected woman have grown out of that one life of Sita; and here she stands these thousands of years, commanding the worship of every man, woman, and child throughout the length and breadth of the land of Âryâvarta. There she will always be, this glorious Sita, purer than purity itself, all patience, and all suffering. She who suffered that life of suffering without a murmur, she the ever-chaste and ever-pure wife, she the ideal of the people, the ideal of the gods, the great Sita, our national God she must always remain. All our mythology may vanish, even our Vedas may depart and our Sanskrit language may vanish for ever, but so long as there will be five Hindus living here, there will be the story of Sita present, mark my words. She has gone into the very vitals of our race. She is there in the blood of every Hindu man and woman. We are all children of Sita.”
There are also some who are of the opinion that women cannot be expected to be like Sita if the men are not like Rama and vice versa. Of course the world would be a much better place if all men were like Rama and all women like Sita, but using this line of thought to justify non Rama and Sita like behaviour creates a society of Ravanas and Surpanakhas. The Sundarkaand emphasises the point of personal responsibility through characters like Mandodari and Trijata, who though being in a demonic environment still possess divine qualities.
When Mother Sita was alone, She continued Her lamentation saying that of the moon and all the stars in the sky, not a single spark of fire comes to end Her wretchedness. Finally she addressed the Ashoka tree stating that its fresh leaves were of the colour of flames and begged it to supply Her with fire. Hanumanji took this opportunity and dropped the ring of Sri Rama. Thinking that the Ashoka tree had answered Her prayer and had thrown down a spark, She sprang up with joy and took it in Her hand. When She saw the ring with the name of Shri Rama beautifully engraved on it, She instantly recognised it with a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow. She knew that Her Lord was invincible and at the same time the ring could not be conjured by magic and was thus confused as to how the ring got there.
As she sat perplexed, Hanumanji sweetly began to recount Shri Rama's praises. As soon as She heard Hanumanji's words Her grief took flight. She listened with all Her soul while Hanumanji narrated the entire Ramakatha. The words of Tulsidasji are profound indeed. Earlier Trijata had tried to console Mother Sita by recounting the glories of the Lord but it did not remove Her anxiety. Now when Hanumanji narrated the katha of the Lord, Her sorrow was removed! The difference is that firstly, as Shri Ramakarishna has emphasised, Hanumanji is a comissioned messenger of the Lord and hence His words have an immediate effect; and secondly as Tulsidasji stressed, Mother Sita listened with all Her soul to the katha.
Mother Sita then called out to whoever had narrated the katha to show himself. Thereupon Hanumanji approached Her and She turned Her back to him out of shock. This reaction of Mother Sita shows that despite the emotional strain of Her captivity, Her heart was not hardened nor did She loose Her innocence, bashfulness and timidity that She had before She accompanying Lord Rama to the forest. When Mother Kaushalya was trying to dissuade Her from going to the forest, one of the arguments that she had used was that Mother Sita was so timid that She would get frightened on seeing just a picture of a monkey.
Hanumanji though did not feel perturbed or insulted by this reaction of Mother Sita. With his gentle, soothing and earnest words he managed to win Her confidence and Mother Sita, recognising him to be a servant of the Lord in thought, word and deed, developed an intense affection for him.
She enquired from Hanumanji about the welfare of Shri Rama and Lakshman and wanted to know why the tender hearted and compassionate Lord had left Her to suffer for so long. Then, with tears in Her eyes, she asked Hanumanji if She would ever be able to see the Lord again.
Seeing Her distress due to Her separation from the Lord, Hanumanji spoke to Her in soft and polite accents. He said that Shri Rama and Lakshman were both doing well except for the fact that the all-merciful Lord was sorrowful because of Her sorrow. He assured her that Sri Rama loved Her twice as much as She loved Him. Hanumanji then related Shri Rama’s message which described the agonising pain He suffered as a result of their separation. As She heard the Lord’s message Mother Sita was so absorbed in love that She lost all Consciousness of Her body. Hanumanji then reassured Her that Shri Rama would definitely come to rescue Her and destroy the demon race.
Mother Sita expressed some misgivings on the matter saying that all the monkeys must be tiny like Hanumanji whereas the demons were huge and mighty warriors. On hearing this Hanumanji revealed his natural form, colossal as a mountain of gold, terrible in battle, possessing great strength and full of valour. Mother Sita then took comfort in Her heart and Hanumanji resumed his diminutive appearance. He said to Mother Sita that monkeys possess neither great strength nor intelligence, but due to the grace of the Lord, they had become brilliant, mighty and invincible.
Hanumanji’s words reminded Mother Sita of Shri Rama’s majesty, glory and power and She felt gratified at heart to see Hanumanji’s boundless devotion. She gave him Her blessings saying “May you be a repository of strength and virtue, dear child. May you ever remain immune from old age and death and may Shri Rama shower His abundant grace on you.” The moment he heard the words “May the Lord shower his abundant grace on you”, he was utterly overwhelmed with emotion. Again and again he fell at Her feet and said “I have now accomplished all that I had to accomplish, dear Mother, for your blessings can never fail.”
Just like Vibhishan and Mother Sita, we too at certain points of our life begin to question our self-worth and doubt whether God is concerned with our plight. The message of hope that Hanumanji brings to them is a message that he brings to us as well. Sometimes we are like Vibhishan when the obstacle between us and the Lord is our own fear and misplaced attachment to negative qualities and or people. By heeding the clarion call of Hanumanji we get the strength and courage to face and renounce these inner demons. At other times we are like Mother Sita, in a completely helpless situation. Hanumanji gives us the courage to persevere and a gives us the reassurance that the Lord loves us more than we know, that He is concerned for us and that He Himself will deliver us from our suffering.
Tulsidasji concludes the Sundarkaand with a description of the benefits accrued from its recitation which wipes out the impurities of the Kali age. The excellences of Shri Rama described in the Sundarkaand are an abode of delight, a cure for all doubt and an unfailing remedy for sorrow. Devotees should therefore chant and hear it over and over again. A recitation of the Sundarkaand bestows all blessings and those who reverently hear it will easily cross the ocean of birth and death and attain their salvation.
Jay Shri Rama!
