|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 33

Tattvadipika 33
"भार्या रामस्य धीमतः"

In the thirty second Sarga,
Sita with fears clouding her mind,
offers prayers to Brahma Indra and Brihaspati.
She says,"Let all those words spoken by the Vanara,
be true and not anything else".

"अनेनचोsक्तं यदिदं ममाग्रतः
वनौकसा तत् च तथास्तु नान्यथा।|"(32.14)

That is a fervent prayer.

Why is she praying that let everything said by the Vanara be true?
From Hanuma's narration of "Ram Katha",
The following good news is clear
Rama is in search of Sita.
Earlier Sita was worried,
"इहस्थां मां न जानीते" (26.19)
"may be he does not know I am captive here".
Now she knows, that he is in search of his wife.

Sita also realizes that, in that process of searching for her ,
"अससाद वने मित्रं"।(31.12)
" Acquired friends in the forest"
Rama acquired new friends in the forests.
With their help, thousands have been deployed in all directions.
So actions for search and rescue of Sita are in full swing.
That is what Sita is hoping for.

Hanuman too realized that having heard the "Ram Katha",
Sita is now receptive.
That was what he hoped for too.
So he comes down the Simsupa tree.
Approaching her, bows his head paying the customary obeisance.
He speaks to her in sweet words.

"Oh, Lady with eyes like lotus petals,
Oh, Blemish less lady ,
Oh, Lady wearing crumpled silk garments, and
Oh, lady holding on to a branch and standing,
Who are you?
Tears are flowing from your eyes,
like the water trickling down a pair of lotus petals."

"Oh Auspicious looking lady !
Are you a goddess or the other,
Are you from among Gandharvas, or Nagas, or Rakshasas or Yakshas ?
O Beautiful lady ! Are you one of Rudras or Maruts ?
Oh Best among women ! You appear to be a goddess to me.
Are you one one of the luminaries that separated from the moon and fell on earth ?
Are you Rohini, embellished with the best of virtues among all the constellations?
Oh Lady with blemish less eyes!
Who are you ?
Are you Arundhati who out of anger or out of love, made Vasistha angry?
Who is that son or father of brother or husband ,
who departed from this world, making you sorrowful?".

Hanuma continues.

" From your sorrowful cries and the deep breaths,
you bear the signs of a royal queen.
On the basis of your signs and other qualities
I think that you are the queen of a king or a princess.
Are you Sita that was brought by force from Janasthana?
If you are that Sita brought by Ravana, please tell me.
May God bless you.
Your plight, superior human form,
and your robes marked with asceticism ,
make me think that you certainly look like Rama's queen".

Flow of Hanuma's speech and approach is notable.
Hanuma knew that she is indeed Sita,

We heard in fifteenth Sarga that Hanuman was delighted,
after confirming to himself that she is indeed Sita.
"एवं सीता तदा दृष्ट्वा
हृष्टः पवन संभवः"||15.55||

Hanuma then heard Trijata's detailing her dream.
Hanuma overheard the imploring of Ravana.
Hanuma heard Sita's rejection too.
So, he knows fully well that she is indeed Sita.

Yet having already confirmed to himself,
Hanuma did not immediately ask if she is Sita?

Hanuman's goal was winning Sita's confidence.
So, first he presented her state in respectful words.
Then he wondered aloud if she is indeed one of the luminaries.
Finally brought up her being possibly a royal queen.

Only then he asked the question.
Not that he did not know the answer.
He wanted to hear the confirmation from her.

Sita obliges him handsomely.
She details that part of Rama Katha
which Hanuma did not sing.

So Sita having heard his Ram Katha ,
delighted by the words of praise about Rama,
addressed Hanuman.

" I am the daughter-in-law of King Dasaratha,
Dasaratha who is the foremost among the great kings on this earth,
Dasaratha who knows Self,
Dasaratha who is a slayer of enemy armies.
I am the daugther of the great soul Janaka , the King of Videha.
I am the wife of sagacious Rama".

Here Sita sticks the the form of those days.
Custom is that a woman would mention her husband's lineage,
then mention her own lineage,
and finally the name of her husband.
Here Sita first mentions the greatness of Dasaratha.
Then she announces herself as the daughter of King of Videha.
Then announces with pride that she is wife of wise Rama
"भार्या रामस्य धीमतः"

This line also echoes an earlier line.
" दीनो वा राज्य हीनो वा
यो मे भर्ता स मे गुरुः" ||24.9||

Both the above lines indicate her firm convictions.
These lines also establish why Sita is seen as an ideal wife.

The description of Dasaratha as one who destroyed enemies,
almost hints at another thought.
That her status would have been different if he were alive.

Then Sita continues her narration.

" I have lived in Rama's house for twelve years.
Enjoyed the pleasures of a human being.
Then in the thirteenth year,
the king decided to anoint Rama,
the delight of Ikshwaku line, as the king.
The arrangements for anointing Rama were on.
Then queen by name Kaikeye spoke to her husband thus.
"I will not drink or eat,
if Rama is anointed.
This is the end of my life.
Oh, Best of Kings, those words of love you spoke to me,
if they are not to be false then Rama goes to forest".'s
Those were the words of Kaikeyi".

"The king ever truthful,
remembering the word given to Kaikeye,
and hearing the unpleasant words of Kaikeye, fainted".

"Then the king who is aged ,
who is established in righteous conduct,
while crying, begged his famed eldest son to give back the kingdom.
That illustrious one for whom father's word is most important,
more important than the kingdom ,
having accepted in his mind then accepted his words".

"Rama's, strength is his truthfulness,
He gives but does not take.
He does not take even if his life were to depend on that.
Nor will he speak words that are unpleasant.
That great person,
casting off the luxurious upper garments,
giving up the kingdom whole heartedly,
entrusted me to his mother in order to go to forests.
I myself started before him to be a forest dweller.
For without him even heaven is not preferable".

"Sumitra's son, a noble one, is a delight to his friends.
He too dressed himself in bark clothes to follow his brother to the forest".

While thus elaborating on Rama's character,
Sita's words speak volumes.
"नप्रतिगृह्णीयात्" ,
"He gives does not take back".
"न ब्रूयात् किंचिदप्रियं"
He does not speak an unpleasant word.
Even if his life depended on that !

"रामः सत्यपराक्रमः".
Rama is a fighter for truth.

'सत्यपराक्रमः' has several meanings.
One who is a True fighter.
One who fights for truth.
One who wins all other worlds with truth as his weapon.
All are applicable to Rama.

Dasaratha too is described as one steeped in sticking to truth.
Hinting that the Ikshwaku lineage of Rama is a stickler for truth.

Every word of Sita reflects her commitment.
Commitment to the lineage she stepped into.
Every word of Sita reflects her love for her husband.
In her eloquence Sita displays her pride.

Sita Continues

"Then following the kings orders,
we entered the impenetrable Dandaka forest.
While the most valiant Rama was living in that forest ,
I was carried away by the evil minded Ravana.
He has given me two months to live.
After those two months I will be giving up my life".

Sita's last line is as follows.
" ततः तक्ष्यामि जीवितं" (33.32)
" Then I will give up my life".
That she will give up her life ,
after the expiry of Ravana's time limit,
summarizes her true state.

Thus, we hear Sita,
"भार्या रामस्य धीमतः"
the wife of wise Rama
expressing her pitiable state in this Sarga.

Thus, ends the Sarga thirty three of Sundarakanda in Valmiki Ramayana.

|| om tat sat||

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