|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 32

Tattvadipika
तथास्तु नान्यथा !

At the end of thirty first Sarga we hear,

"स्वयं प्रहर्षं परमं जगाम
सर्वात्मना राममनुस्मरंती"|

Meditating on Rama ,
hearing the story of Rama ,
looking around Sita was delighted in her heart.
Then as she looked around,
she saw Hanuman on the branches of the Simsupa tree.
He was wearing white clothes, with lightning bright looks.

She saw a Vanara, not a 'nara' singing a song.
He was looking respectful, with the luster of Ashoka flowers in full bloom.
His eyes were shining with the brilliance of molten gold.
He spoke pleasingly.
She had not seen a Vanara like that before.
She was taken aback.

Lost in wonder, Sita started thinking with a mind that was shaken.

"This Vanara's form is fearsome and not approachable.
It is even difficult to look at".
Thinking along these lines, Sita was lost in her thoughts.
But she still saw the Vanara was sitting respectfully on the tree.
Seeing that Vanara, Sita felt that this must be part of a dream.
But seeing Vanara in a dream is not a good omen.

Thinking along these lines, she fainted and became almost lifeless.
Recovering quickly Sita started thinking again.

"In my dream I am seeing an ugly monkey,
which is an animal prohibited in dreams by Sastras.
Let auspicious things happen for Rama and Lakshmana,
Let auspicious things happen to the king and my father Janaka".

Her thoughts continued.
"Troubled by grief and sorrow I have no sleep,
This is not a dream.
I have no happiness without Rama,
No sleep too."

Sita continues.

"Thinking of Rama and Rama alone,
always saying things about him,
always talking about him,
always thinking of his form ,
now I am hearing about him".

"I am tormented by intense love for Rama.
With thoughts always immersed in him,
now I even see him and hear him.
All of this is only my wish, I think.
I am deliberating on my mind.
But that mind has no form.
But this Vanara in front of me has a form.
And he is speaking to me.
How ?"

Thinking along these lines,
unable to get out of confusion,
Sita could see only one way.
Which is to pray.

नमोsस्तु वाचस्पतये सवज्रिणे
स्वयंभुवे चैव हुताशनायच।
अनेन चोक्तं यदिदं ममाग्रतो
वनौकसा तच्च तथास्तु नान्यथा॥14||

"Salutations to Indra along with Brihaspati,
Salutations to Brahma the creator and the fire god too.
Let all those words spoken by the Vanara in front of me be true and not anything else".

When one is disturbed, the mind runs in many directions
Bringing that mind into control is the first task
Saying prayers and bringing agitated mind to rest is the first step in that direction.

That is what we see in this thirty second Sarga of Sundarakanda.

|| om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||