Chapter
7 (b)
Winning Sita
"Rama!
The ministers then crowned Amsumanta, after consulting
the will of the people. He ruled over the kingdom without
the slightest error or fault, for he was strong in
morality and spiritual excellence. The people were
fostered as if they were children born from his own
loins. When old age crept on him, he offered the throne
to Dileepa, his son, and proceeded to the Himalayas for
the ascetic disciplines he wanted to impose on
himself. His aim was not only self-realisation; he sought
to bring down the Ganga for the sake of the salvation of
the departed uncles. But, he too had to give up his body
without fulfilling the desire.
"Dileepa was also moved
by the same wish for, he knew how deeply his father and
grandfather had longed for the consummation, bringing the
Ganga down on earth! He tried various means. He performed
many abstruse yajnas on the advice of sages. Pangs of
sorrow that he could not fulfill the family ideal invaded
him and he became chronically ill. Seeing that physical
strength and mental stamina were declining, he placed his
son Bhagiratha on the throne; he entrusted to him the
mission that was beyond his grasp, namely, bringing the
Ganga down. Soon after, Dileepa too left the
earth.
"Bhagiratha, bright
with spiritual splendour, vowed that he must succeed in
the task allotted to him by his father. Though he ruled
the kingdom very satisfactorily, he was sad that he had
no children to maintain the line. This, as well as the
supreme task of getting the Ganga, forced him to hand
over the reins of government to the ministers and retire
into the silence of the famous Gokarna Kshetra. He stood
there practising austere penances like bearing the heat
of the sun and taking food only once a month! At last
appreciating his austerity, God appeared before him and
said, 'Son! Bhagiratha! Ask any boon you wish for, it
shall be granted.'
"Bhagiratha had the
Vision of the One with the brilliance of a thousand Suns.
He fell prostrate, overwhelmed with gratitude and
devotion. He prayed, Lord! Cause the Celestial
Ganga to flow on earth, so that my great-grandfathers
might be saved from perdition, and be restored to Heaven.
And, favour me with children so that the Ikshvaku Royal
Line might not be rendered extinct, with me as its last
representative. May the dynasty continue and
flourish. He held fast the Feet of the Lord and
submitted his supplication.
"The Lord replied,
Son ! The first of your wishes is very hard to
fulfill. Nevertheless, I shall grant you that one. The
boon for the royal line? Yes. You will have a noble son
and your dynasty will continue and flourish. Arise!' At
this, Bhagiratha rose and the Lord continued,
Bhagiratha! Ganga is swollen and swift; when it
falls from heaven, the earth will not be able to bear the
impact. So, as Ruler of the Earth, you have to ponder
over the problem and discover means by which dire
disaster can be avoided. When the Ganga descends upon the
earth, the effect will be calamitous. So, the river must
be made to fall first on the head of Siva; from there,
the waters may be led on to earth with lessened impact.
This is the best course, from the point of view of the
inhabitants of the earth. Consider this well.' After
saying this, the Lord withdrew.
"From thence,
Bhagiratha began austerities to propitiate
Siva and at last, he succeeded in
winning His favour and His consent to receive Ganga
direct on His Head, when it descends from Heaven. And so
it happened that the Ganga fell on Siva and flowed down
from His Head on to the earth, in seven distinct streams
- Hladini Nalini and Pavani flowed east, Subhikshu, Sitha
and Sindhu flowed west, and the seventh stream followed
the footsteps of Bhagiratha to where he led it, namely,
the place where the ashes of his great-grandfathers lay
in heaps, awaiting rescue from hell. [See also:
Srîmad Bhâgavatam Canto 5, Chapter 17:
The
Descent of the River
Ganges]
"It flowed along the
route that Bhagiratha took and all along the route, men
benefitted from the sacred stream and sanctified
themselves. They were released from the effects of the
sins, by the cleansing influence of the celestial Ganga.
The great-grandfathers too were redeemed by the
performance of obsequies on the bank of the thrice-holy
stream, and with its waters.
"Since Bhagiratha
brought the Ganga to earth, the river got the name,
Bhagirathi! After the ceremonies for the manes were over,
Bhagiratha returned to Ayodhya. Happy that he could
fulfill through Divine Grace the keenest wishes of his
father and grandfather, he ruled over the empire for many
years receiving the spontaneous homage of his contented
subjects. At last, he too left the body."
When Viswamitra
narrated the story of Ramas fore-fathers thus, Rama
and Lakshmana were all attention; they were enraptured
with the incidents. But, the Sage said it was already
midnight and they could all go to bed and sleep. So, they
prostrated before the Preceptor and laid themselves on
the thick sands of the river itself. Rama and Lakshmana
could not sleep; they reclined on the sands, only in
obedience to the order of their preceptor, not because
they needed rest! They lay picturing to themselves the
wonderful story of the descent of Ganga from heaven to
earth, till they found that morning had arrived! There
they performed the ablutions and morning rituals in the
river and prepared soon for the journey ahead. As soon as
some teenage disciples announced that the ferryboat was
ready, all moved towards it and took their seats and
crossed the holy river. They reached the northern bank
and started on the further stages of their journey,
admiring the heartening forest-scenery through which they
passed.
When they had covered
some distance, they came upon a vast city full of
beautiful buildings. Rama turned to Viswamitra, and asked
him, "Master! We are seeing from here in this exquisite
forest a vast City. To what kingdom does it belong?" The
sage replied, "Rama! It appears to be near, but, in fact,
it will take quite some time for us to reach it! Perhaps,
we may arrive there in the evening hours. I shall tell
you the story of that City's origin and fortunes when we
actually reach it. Meanwhile, let us proceed". Rama heard
these words which the sage spoke with a twinkle in the
eye and a smile on the lips; he grasped the meaning of
his directive and walked on without a word in
reply.
When they descended
into the valley there was no sign of any City or human
habitation; but, on rising to the heights, the City could
be seen very near! Moving forward like this, they found
that though evening drew near they could not reach the
City. As Viswamitra had already indicated the City was
still far away! As evening fell they halted; and after
bath, they performed the evening rituals as laid down in
the Sastras. While resting, Rama returned to the question
he had already asked. "Master! will you kindly tell us
about the City ?" At this, Viswamitra said, "Rama ! I too
was just now thinking about that matter! Though I know
that you are aware of the working of every mind, still,
the veil of Maya
(taking the appearance as real) hides the fact and
precipitates men into misleading tracks. All cannot be
masters of the mind. When persons like me find it
impossible to keep it under control, there is no need to
dilate on the fate of ordinary men! The very moment the
thought flashed in my mind that you had forgotten to ask
about the story of the City, you questioned me about it!
No further proof is wanted to show that you are the
All-knowing!
"Rama! In ancient
times, Kasyapa had two wives, Aditi and Diti. The sons of
Diti were repositories of physical might and the sons of
Aditi, of moral grandeur. They grew up mightier and
mightier with each passing day. The parents derived great
joy, watching them grow up so fair and fast.
See
also: Srîmad
Bhâgavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 6:
The Suras and Asuras Declare a
Truce
"One day, the sons of
both Diti and Aditi gathered together and entered into a
discussion on means of avoiding old age. Finally, they
came to the conclusion that the Amrith or Nectar that can
be secured by churning the Ocean of Milk will prevent the
physical calamities of disease, senility, and death.
Soon, they set about that task. The Mandara Peak was
plucked and placed in the Ocean as the Churning Rod; the
serpent Vasuki was chosen as the rope, to be wound round
the rod so that the rope might rotate quick and fast.
While the churning continued for a long time, the serpent
Vasuki began vomitting its poison. It was enraged so much
as a result of the pain that its fangs struck against the
rocks of the mountain peak. The poison fume raged as a
huge fire!
"Seeing this, the sons
of Diti and Aditi became mortally afraid; they felt they
would be burnt into ashes in that holocaust! They prayed
for succour to the Lord. When Lord Vishnu appeared before
them, the sons of Diti pleaded pathetically, Lord!
Save us! Put an end to this dread disaster and the
Lord changed into Siva and said, Dear Ones! I am
the eldest of the Gods and so, I am entitled to receive
the first fruit of this churning process' Declaring thus,
He drank off without delay the Halahala poison that was
causing the panic.
"Thereafter, the sons
of Diti and Aditi continued the churning of the Ocean.
Another calamity threatened them now; the Mandara Peak
started sinking! So, they prayed again to the Lord
Vishnu. He appeared again and assured them, Darling
children! Do not become frightened. The Lord
assumed the Form of a Tortoise, and getting underneath
the mountain peak raised it on His back and kept it safe
on the hard shell so long as the churning lasted. The
sons of Kasyapa were immensely grateful and happy. They
extolled the Lord in profusion.
"From out of the Ocean
of Milk, there emerged a God with a Danda (Stick) and
Kamandalu Waterpot in His Hands! His name was
Dhanvantari. Even as the sons of Diti and Aditi were
looking at Him, there emerged again from the Ocean thick
sweet juice or Rasa, which got rolled into a ball, which,
in turn, soon swelled and broke, disclosing a bevy of
maidens. Since they were born of Rasa, they are named,
Apsaras. They tried in many ways to persuade the sons of
Diti and Aditi to wed them; they prayed and petitioned;
but all their efforts were of no avail; so, they lived
without being wedded, free and fickle. Then, from out of
the waves rose the daughter of the water-god, Varuni and
she had a chalice full of intoxicating liquor. The sons
of Diti refused to have anything to do with the liquor!
The sons of Aditi quaffed it. Those who did not accept
the Sura (liquor) were known as Asuras, and those who
accepted it, as Suras.
"At last, from that
Ocean of Milk arose the Amrith (Nectar). Who were to
drink the Amrith? There arose a huge conflict between the
sons of Diti and Aditi. In the terrible fight that
ensued, the sons of Aditi began destroying the sons of
Diti. The battle threatened to become a battle of
extinction. The earth shook under the thrust and
counter-thrust of weaponry in that battle. Fear and
anxiety spread their dark clouds over the world.
Suddenly, Vishnu appeared before the contending parties
as an entrancingly charming damsel, who captivated the
hearts of all and led their minds away from the combat
into which they had plunged! She charmed everyone and
during her appearance, the precious Amrith disappeared!
The sons of Diti had all died. The grief of the mother
was beyond consolation. Kasyapa failed to bring her to
the state of normalcy. His attempts to teach her the
evanescence of things failed to convince her. She wailed
aloud and lamented most excruciatingly as if the end of
the world had come.
"At last Diti brought
herself round; she approached Kasyapa and submerging her
agony deep into her mind, she said, Lord! Is this
just? We both had children by you. Now I have been made
childless. Is this fair? Am I to grieve eternally thus?
Not even one of my sons is alive. Rather than have many
short-lived sons, one long living one is most desirable,
isn't it? When she wept aloud in this manner,
Kasyapa consoled her and told her to enter on
Thapas
(the discipline of austerities to propitiate the Gods) so
that she might have a son who will live long. He advised
her to give up her grief which could never fulfill her
desire. Encouraged by him and seeking his blessings she
left immediately and started Thapas, with the professed
aim of securing the boon from the Gods, of a son who will
be able to defeat the Lord of Gods, Indra
Himself!
"Kasyapa told her,
'Thapas is no easy discipline. One has to be pure until
the very end; one has to observe the vows and fasts,
without the least infringement; then only will the Gods
be pleased and grant the boon.
"Diti reached the
region known as Kusaplava and entered upon rigorous
asceticism. Knowing her resolve, Indra desired to test
her and came to her in the guise of her attendant. Diti's
prayer was answered; she became pregnant with child
through Divine Grace. Days passed, months rolled by,
Indra was beside her, as attendant! One day, in the hot
hours of noon, overcome by sleep, she lay on the bed with
her hair loose and her head placed where the feet were
usually placed. This was against the strict rules of
ceremonial purity, which she had to observe with
tenacity. So, Indra got his chance; He noted that her
posture was heterodox and contrary to Sastraic
injunctions.
So He punished her, by
fragmenting the foetus in her womb. The fragments started
weeping inside the womb for their limbs and segments
which had broken away; the attendant, Indra spoke softly
to them, 'Maa ruda' 'Don't weep'! Diti had terrible bouts
of bleeding, she lamented her fate and wept most
pitiably. [See
Srîmad Bhâgavatam,
C6:18-62]
"Indra stood before her with folded palms and pleaded,
Mother; pardon me. You acted contrary to the rules
of ceremonial purity and so, broke the vow. Your hair was
unbound and loose; and your head was on the bed where the
feet are normally kept. When you slept thus, your Thapas
was defiled; when the enemy who is waiting for a chance
to foil your fortune gets such an opportunity, will he
keep quiet? I am Indra come in this form. You prayed for
a son who would kill me, didnt you? The foetus in
the womb was to destroy me and so I took that chance to
foil my foe. And I did not destroy him through
condemnable tactics. You know that strict observance of
the vow was essential for the success of your plan; you
had to ensure that you did not violate the code. The
foetus has been cut into seven fragments and I have
spoken 'Maa ruda to them. So, they will be born as
the seven Godly Maruthas, (Wind Gods); I am conferring on
you this boon', Indra said thus and returned to
Heaven.
"Rama! This is the
place where Indra and Diti had this dialogue and this
compromise. Here, Ikshvaku had a son, by Alamba Devi, who
was named Visala. This kingdom is called Visala after
him. Visala begot Hemachandra, the mighty. He begot
Subhadra, and he had as son, Doomraswa, whose son was
called Srnjaya; Srnjaya's son was
Sahadeva.
"Sahadeva was very rich
and prosperous; he was a strong pillar of morality and
righteousness; he was a valiant ruler of the kindom for a
very long period. His son Somadatta had Kakustha born to
him; Sumathi was the son of that heroic monarch. He too
was a very upright virtuous ruler; in purity and holiness
he was equal to the Gods. Rama! This day, we shall enter
this Visala City and sleep there; we shall reach the city
of Emperor Janaka tomorrow."
When they heard these
words all were happy. The news of the arrival of
Viswamitra was communicated to Sumathi by messengers and
he rushed forward to the Sage, with a retinue of
courtiers, ministers, scholars and priests, praying that
he should enter the City and sanctify the Royal palace by
his stay.
Viswamitra was pleased
with his humility and reverence. He inquired sweetly
about his health and happiness, as well as about his
kingdom. They were engaged in conversation for some time
on the affairs of the kingdom and dynasty when
Sumathis eyes fell on the brothers, Rama and
Lakshmana. He was so enchanted by their charm and dignity
that he asked Viswamitra, who these lion cubs
were. Viswamitra replied, "Sumathi! That is a long story,
I have no time now to tell you. I shall relate to you the
whole story on reaching your place." He then directed the
monks and ascetics who had accompanied him, as well as
the two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, to proceed to the
City of Visala; he too rose and walked, Sumathi talking
with him all the while on matters pertaining to the
kingdom. On their reaching the City gate, music from many
voices and instruments rent the air; Brahmins
recited hymns of welcome and good wishes from the
scriptures.
After partaking of the
Reception feast arranged by the King of Visala,
Viswamitra described to the gathering of royal kinsmen,
priests and pundits, his own Siddhasram and the Yajna
that he had celebrated therein, as well as the heroic way
in which Rama and Lakshmana stood guard, to defend the
sacrificial precincts from marauding demons. All those
who listened to the skill and courage of the princes were
struck with wonder and boundless Ananda. They looked on
them with admiration, and felt that they are
Nara-Narayana come again They prostrated before them,
overcome by feelings of reverence.
Since it was already
late, Rama and Lakshmana fell at the feet of Viswamitra
and, taking his permission, they went over to the house
that was specially set apart for their rest. Even before
dawn, they rose, went through the morning ablutions,
performed the matinal rites, and came to their Preceptor,
in good time to proceed on the next stage of the journey.
They expressed gratitude to King Sumathi, and moved on
towards Mithila.
Sumathi accompanied
them for some distance and then took leave of the sage
and others. Viswamitra walked on with his disciples and
the Princes; by noon they reached an expansive park. It
appeared as if it could boast of a number of hermitages
inside it years ago, but now the dwellings had crumbled.
One could see also altars once maintained with loving
attention, and spots where the sacred fire was once lit
and fed. Rama noted that it was a place sanctified by
ascetics and sages and he drew the attention of
Viswamitra to his surmise. Viswamitra smiled, and said,
"Rama! How correctly you have observed! I am very glad. I
shall inform you why the great personage who resided in
this place left it and went away. Listen!
"Even the gods used to
acclaim this Hermitage. This is the hermitage of Gauthama
Maharshi. For many years, he resided here with his wife,
Ahalya. He gladly under-went the most severe austerities.
He did many elaborate Yajnas.
This park was resplendent with spiritual grandeur; it was
bright and full of peace and joy. Every day was a holy
day for the people here. Ahalya, the wife of the sage,
was a woman of great virtue, and a perfect paragon of
beauty. There was no one equal to her in personal beauty
and charm; so, Gauthama was keeping her ever under watch,
and guarding her with vigilant care. One day, while
Gauthama was absent at the asram, Indra, the chief of the
Gods, came into the hermitage in the guise of Gauthama
himself! The virtuous spouse took Him to be her Lord; she
served him reverentially but, the real Gauthama entered
and, discovered her apparent faithlessness. He recognised
Indra, in spite of his disguise, and became terribly
enraged. 'Evil-minded fellow he shouted; but Indra
had suddenly disappeared.
"He turned towards
Ahalya in his anger and roared, You have vowed to
destroy this hermitage by indulging in vice, is it? I
shall not be here a minute longer. I cannot tolerate the
sight of your face. Be prostrate behind some bush, living
as a sprite on air, with no food or drink. I am
off. Gauthama hated the place that had been
desecrated by deceit.
"Ahalya wept her heart
out, and pleaded that she was innocent of sin, that she
was deceived by the disguise and activated by reverence
towards her lord only, that she was carried away by the
duty of loyalty to her husband. She held his feet and
prayed for pardon. Gauthama melted a little at her
importunities; the truth became clear to him; but since
words once spoken could not be withdrawn, he said,
Ahalya! you know that I have vowed never to go
against the spoken word. Therefore, you have to lie in
bush and briar, sad and starving, until Rama, son of
Dasaratha, comes this way and seeing you, He will shower
Grace on you, allowing you to touch His Feet, and He will
speak with you in great compassion; the Darsan,
Sparsan
and Sambarshan
will cleanse you, and you will shine forth in your real
form and charm. I shall then rejoin you. So saying,
Gauthama left this place and hastened to the Himalayan
region. From that moment, Ahalya lost her name and form;
she lives on air, and is deeply lost in austerity, eager
to rejoin her lord. And, this once lovely park suffered
neglect."
When Viswamitra
narrated this tale, Ramachandra expressed great surprise,
"What! You are telling me that she is waiting for me!
Poor thing! If you can make me know where she is, deep in
austerity
tell me where." As Rama moved on,
Viswamitra and Lakshmana followed him at some distance.
He passed through some tangled bushes and entered a hut,
behind a bush of briar.
Ahalya was until that
moment immersed in austerity; she was far away from the
eyes of Gods, demons and men; she had forgotten her Name
and lost her Form; she had no concern with food and
sleep; she was merely existing as a piece of rock! She
appeared like the orb of the Moon, well hidden by clouds,
or the sacrificial fire, covered by thick curtains of
smoke! As Rama neared her, his foot touched
Ahalya.
Ahalya raised her head
and seeing the Divinely charming Form of Rama, she held
the Feet, exclaiming in ecstasy, "Ah! I am saved" "0 God,
come to save me from sin! Your heart is moved at last".
She poured out her gratitude in many hymns of praise. She
rose, like the moon from behind the clouds, effulgent and
fresh. At that moment Gauthama too who was a master of
the mysteries of yoga, appeared before them for he knew
that Rama had come, and rescued his wife. He accepted
her, purified by rigorous austerity, and blessed by Rama.
Both husband and wife fell at the Feet of Rama and
Lakshmana, who were both overwhelmed by the Ananda they
had. Gauthama offered reverence and homage to Viswamitra.
The band of disciples was amazed at the wonder they had
witnessed; they looked on at the brothers with the fixed
gaze of wonder. Viswamitra took leave of Gauthama, and
walked on, in the north-easterly direction, with Rama and
Lakshmana by his side.
They neared a City, by
evening. The sage pointed to the City from a distance
saying, "That is Mithila, that vast concourse of
magnificent buildings !" At this, the Brothers as well as
the disciples of the sage jumped with joy; they could not
contain their happiness. From that spot, they walked
faster. Forgetful of physical exhaustion, they quickly
reached the main entrance of the City.
Wherever they turned,
they saw ascetics and Brahmins engaged in the recitation
of the Vedas. They saw many houses where sacrificial
fires were fed with ritual offerings. Under every tree,
sheltering in its shade, were groups of people around the
bullock carts which had brought them from the
countryside. There were men and women, old and young,
with children belonging to all castes and professions,
persons from all stages of life assembled at every
corner; it was like moving in a stream of joy. The City
was packed with eager people moving crisscross on all the
roads. The sage and his followers reached the embankment
of a tank which was comparatively less crowded; for, they
had to decide where they were to stay, and they were not
yet quite sure where. The time for evening ablutions had
drawn near and, so, they kept their belongings on the
bank, took their bath and finished the rites
prescribed.
Since the Yajna was
imminent, courtiers and warriors from the palace were
moving among the monks that were arriving every hour,
trying to find out their names, the Gurus and hermitages
to which they were affiliated, their spiritual status,
and whether they had been specially invited for the
occasion. Emperor Janaka was insisting that all such
information was to be communicated to him without
delay.
Meanwhile, Viswamitra
had finished his ablutions and rites; he sat on the
embankment with his disciples and the Brothers, who
looked like twin stars fallen upon the Earth from Heaven.
He was describing to them the glories of Mithila.
Meanwhile, a courier from the court approached them very
politely and enquired, "Master! Please tell me who you
are. Where have you come from? We are messengers from the
King. We are only obeying orders and carrying out our
duty. If you tell us your name, we can inform the King of
your arrival."
When the messenger
hurried straight to the Palace and told the Emperor
Janaka that the Sage Viswamitra had arrived, he made
arrangements appropriate for the reception of the great
Sage and sent the chief Brahmins, Priests and Pundits of
the Court under their leader, Sathananda, to where
Viswamitra was.
The group from the
palace approached the embankment, reciting Vedic hymns of
welcome and good wishes, and Viswamitra realised that
they were coming to take them to the Emperors
Presence. He directed Rama and Lakshmana to prepare
themselves for proceeding with him. Every one made
himself ready. Meanwhile, Sathananda honoured Viswamitra
in true Vedic tradition, as befitted a great Master. He
fell at his feet; he offered refreshments consecrated
with Vedic formulae and announced with exemplary humility
that he had come with others, under orders from the
Emperor to accord him and all those who were with him,
the most sincere welcome. They left a palanquin at the
place to bring the bags and baggage of the party and took
the Sage and others into the City preceded by bands of
musicians, playing on their instruments.
As soon as they entered
the Royal Road, Emperor Janaka himself moved towards them
accompanied by Ministers and courtiers and his nearest
kinsmen. Janaka fell prostrate before Viswamitra saying,
"Lord! I have realised today my greatest ambition.
Mathila has acquired, with your arrival, a unique
splendour." He then enquired about the welfare of the
Sage, his pupils and disciples. His eyes fell on the two
boys, Rama and Lakshmana. They struck him as embodiments
of solar effulgence. He could not find words for a few
seconds. He knew not where he was at the time. With great
effort, he recovered enough awareness of the surroundings
to ask Viswamitra "Master! who are these? They strike me
as the twin Gods, the Aswinidevas.
It looks as if they have just come down from Heaven in
order to confer Grace on me. They have the tender Divine
charm of those Gods. Or, perhaps, they are the Sun and
the Moon come upon the Earth. How did these juvenile
embodiments of beauty happen to come, walking the
distance as members of the group led by you? Or, did they
develop acquaintance with you near here and come with
you?" Janaka was pouring out one query after another, as
if he was talking to himself, forgetful where he was or
what he really wanted to know.
Viswamitra saw his
plight and could not restrain his smile. He said, "These
are the sons of Emperor Dasaratha of Ayodhya. Their names
are Rama and Lakshmana. The valour and skill of these
boys are amazing and miraculous". The sage desired to say
much more, but, he thought it better to tell him all
about them, after reaching the place where they were to
stay. So, they walked on towards the quarters set apart
for Viswamitra and his entourage.
contents
of this Vahini
|
previous page |
next
page