Lord Siva hearing her firm resolve again advised her, 'Don't think so, O auspicious one, because husband is the supreme Lord for a woman.' Then changed to a conciliatory tone, 'Therefore taking it verily as a favour to me, O Sita, be kind to accept him. Do not think differently. You follow my words.'
Sita accepts Lord Siva's decision in the presence of the assembled gods, 'O Lord, I have great respect for your orders. I have no apprehensions in my mind. I do accept my husband again by your command, this day in the assembly of gods.' Sita then bows to Lord Shiva, the master of the worlds. Rama also, delighted by the union with Sita, bows to Siva. Dismissed by Siva and the other gods he reached the city of Ayodhya along with Sita.
On their return, the people of Ayodhya made merry, laughed and sang. Rama spent time happily along with Sita, his wife with no ill-reputaion. His renown, as white as the moonlight, spread in the world. Accompanied by his pious wife, Rama performed various sacrifices and attained the most stainless glory in the world.
The ending of Thai Ramayana is a happy one. While Valmiki's Rama was rather sterile, stiff and almost two dimensional, Thai Rama proves to be more interesting and surely more emotional! Valmiki's Rama does not even go to meet Sita after defeating Ravana. In fact, Rama sends Vibhishana to bring Seetha to his presence.
I quote from Valmiki Ramayana: 'From the pitiless facial features of Rama, showing indifference to his consort, they conjectured as if Rama had some displeasure towards Seetha. Seetha, for her part, shrinking into her limbs with modesty, approached her husband, duly followed by Vibhishana.'
It is appalling the way she is treated by Valmiki's Rama: "Which noble man, born in an illustrious race, will take back a woman who lived in another's abode, with an eager mind? While mentioning greatly about my lineage, how can I accept again, you who were harassed in Ravana's lap (while being borne away by him) and who were seen (by him) with evil looks?"
"You were won by me with that end in view (viz. the retrieval of my lost honour). The honour has been restored by me. For me, there is no intense attachment in you. You may go wherever you like from here. O gracious lady! Therefore, this has been spoken by me today, with a resolved mind. Set you mind on Lakshmana or Bharata, as per your ease."
"O Seetha! Otherwise, set your mind either on Shatrughna or on Sugreeva or on Vibhishana the demon; or according to your own comfort. Seeing you, who are endowed with a beautiful form and attractive to the sense, detained for long in his abode, Ravana could not have endured your separation."
Hearing that unpalatable speech of her beloved husband, Seetha who used to hear pleasing words alone, was very much trembled for long, like a creeper attacked by the proboscis of an elephant and thereupon shed tears.
But Thai Sita is an eye opener. She could compete very well with the fiesty females of Mahabharata. (I am quoting friend Gayathri here!).
There are many questions! The one which is preying my mind at the moment is why Rama and Ramayana are so important for us? This question would have been answered, I suppose I have to look for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment