Feelings are vital on the journey to reach God
From the book Gita Govindam Again
The Story of Sita
in the Forest
hearing
the malicious words of some washerman, Rama told Lakshmana to leave Sita in the forest. At that time Sita
was pregnant and it saddened Lakshmana to carry out the task. He took Sita in a
chariot to the forest. As they rode through the woods, Sita innocently enjoyed
the scenery. Stopping, Sita got down from the chariot. Lakshmana told her what
Rama had said. Before leaving her, Lakshmana circumambulated Sita and
prostrated at her feet. He returned to Ayodhya with a heavy heart.
Poor Sita was in great despair. She cried
desolately not knowing what to do. At that time, sage Valmiki saw Sita and took
her to his ashram. Sita lived there in deep sorrow. Commonly it is said that
pregnant women should spend their time happily. They go to their parental home
where they are given lots of care and attention. But Sita suffered separation
from her dear Lord and had to live in an ashram. How can one write about the
agony of Sita? Sage Valmiki comforted her. He told her stories from the
scriptures and expounded higher truths.
Sita gave birth to twin boys called Lava
and Kusha. She brought them up with the help of the sage. The children did not
know anything about their father. They learned the Vedas, Vedanta and art of
warfare. They became well versed in the arts and skills befitting princes. All
the arts came naturally to the children of God and they excelled in all.
Valmiki taught the Ramayana to the children. Soon they grew up. During this
time, Rama performed the Aswamedha yagna, the great horse sacrifice. The horse
consecrated for the yagna was set free. It is a rule of the yagna that when the
horse is allowed to pass unopposed through a kingdom, the people of that
kingdom have accepted the supremacy of the king performing the sacrifice. The
horse ran through several kingdoms and finally reached the forest where
Valmiki’s ashram was. Rama’s sons saw the beautifully decorated horse, caught it
and playfully tied it to a pole. Satrugna who came in search of the horse asked
the children to free it, but Lava and Kusha refused. Satrugna began a battle
with the children, who soon destroyed his army and captured him. Rama then sent
Lakshmana with an army. Again, the children fought and defeated it. Finally,
Rama Himself came to battle. Much to His surprise Rama felt a surge of love as
soon as He saw the two boys.
The children started to fight with Rama.
When Rama was about to lose the battle, Valmiki asked the children to stop
fighting. The children would not listen. The sage sent word to Sita and she
arrived at the scene. Pointing to Rama, Sita told the children, “He is your
father!” The battle came to an end and the separated family reunited.
A
mother shows the father to her new born. She does this many times and soon the
baby learns to identify the father. Look at the state of Sita! Her children
were on one side of the battlefield and on the other side were their father and
uncles. Poor Sita had to show the children their father on a battlefield. How
heart rending!
Now let us look from Rama’s side.
Listening to the words of an ordinary man, He sent the blameless Sita to the
forest when she was pregnant and the children were born there. Rama should have
seen His children in the happy, joyful settings of a palace. But He met them
under unfortunate circumstances, on a battlefield. He should have seen His sons
as soon as they were born. He was ‘introduced’ to them only when they had grown
in to youngsters. How Rama’s heart must have ached that instead of embracing
the children, His arms shot arrows at them. The love the father and sons shower
on each other had turned into a shower of arrows. What a pity! Such a situation
should not arise for anyone. The first meeting of the mother, sons and father
happened on the field of battle. Oh Lord! How cruel! I cried feeling deep pain
as I wrote this chapter and was moved to tears when I spoke about it in
satsang.
Before the birth of the first child, the
husband and wife enjoy talking about the child. “Will it be a boy or a girl?
What shall we call it? Who will the child look like?” Dreaming about this
symbol of love, they eagerly await the day their sweet honey will be born. In India
Now imagine Rama’s situation. He would
have been tortured thinking, “Where are the children? How are they? How is
Sita? Why was I born in this lineage of kings? It is because of this, I’m bound
by Raja dharma and I had to send Sita to the forest.”
What about the state of Lava and Kusha?
How would these children who grew up without seeing the face of their father
have felt? Children, who should have bound their father in a bond of love,
bound Him in a shower of arrows. What a strange situation! What a novel way to
meet your father! Should the children cry for their mother? Should they cry for
their father? Or should they cry for themselves? What misery! The family was
broken by Raja dharma; the tender hearts were disturbed when they knew the
truth.
Swami said, “That day I sent Sita to the
forest, My hands were bound by Raja dharma.”
Even after two ages the wound has not
healed in Swami’s heart. This is why He says, “When we come again I will make
amends. I will be with you always. I will be with you even at the time of
childbirth.” These are the feelings of the avatar. This is His pain, His
despair. He is asking me to write about it.
In Gitagovinda, Krishna suffers the
separation from Radha and says, “I am not able to bear this pain, it is burning
me Charusheelay.”
Charusheelay means the one who has
virtuous character. When does one’s character become virtuous and beautiful,?
Only when he or she shines in total purity. Sita’s purity was made evident by
the test of fire. Still, she was separated from her Lord by Raja dharma. This
is why Swami says,
‘Charusheelay! Seethey!
Charusheelay! Priya!
When we come again
I will protect you
As the eyelids protect the eyes.’