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|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 29

In the earlier Sargas thinking of Rama and Lakshmana - 'rāmānujaṁ lakṣmaṇapūrvajaṁ" , Sita blames herself as the cause of the separation from Rama. And unable to bear the sorrow and in desperation, Sita says she was ready to go to Yama - "yamasya mūlaṁ"

For a tormented soul there are two protectors.
Bhagavan and the Teacher. When separated from both, with no ostensible support , the Jiva will be devastated. Sita is also in a similar position. For Sita Rama and Lakshmana are the Bhagavan and the teacher.

In the last Sloka of the previous Sarga , we heard that auspicious omens manifested in her. In this Sarga we hear more of that.

Now the twenty ninth Sarga with meanings and commentary

||Sloka 29.01||

tathā gatāṁ tāṁ vyadhitāmaniṁditām
vyapētaharṣāṁ paridīna mānasām|
śubhāṁ nimittāni śubhāni bhējirē
naraṁ śriyā juṣṭa mihōpa jīvinaḥ||29.01||

sa||tathāgatāṁ vyathitāṁ aniṁditāṁ vyapēta harṣāṁ paradīnamānasām śubhām tāṁ śriyā juṣṭaṁ naraṁ upajīvanaḥ iva śubhāni nimittāni bhējirē ||

||Sloka meanings||

tathāgatāṁ vyathitāṁ -
as expected the agonized lady
aniṁditāṁ vyapēta harṣāṁ -
one who is without faults, and is bereft of all happiness
paridīnamānasām - distressed in mind
śubhām - auspicious
tāṁ śubhāni nimittāni bhējirē - auspicious omens surrounded her
śriyā juṣṭaṁ naraṁ upajīvanaḥ iva -like one blessed with fortune surrounded by well wishers

||Sloka summary||

"Auspicious signs of fortune surrounded the lady, who is agonized, who is without faults, who is bereft of all happiness, and is distressed in mind, like a wealthy man is surrounded by well-wishers." ||29.01||

||Sloka 29.02||

tasyā śśubhaṁ vāma marāḷapakṣma
rājīvr̥taṁ kr̥ṣṇaviśālaśuklam|
prāspaṁdataikaṁ nayanaṁ sukēśyā
mīnāhataṁ padmāmivābhitāmraṁ|| 29.02||

sa|| sukēśyāḥ tasyāḥ śubhaṁ arālapakṣma rājīvr̥tam kr̥ṣṇaviśālaśuklam vāmanayanam mīnāhataṁ abhitāmraṁ ēkaṁ padmamiva prāspaṁdata ||29.02||

||Sloka meanings||

sukēśyāḥ - lady with beautiful hair
tasyāḥ śubhaṁ har auspicious
arālapakṣmarājīvr̥tam-
surrounded by curved eye lashes
kr̥ṣṇaviśālaśuklam vāmanayanam -
left black pupils in broad eye in white
mīnāhataṁ abhitāmraṁ ēkaṁ padmamiva -
like a lotus with reddish ring struck by a fish
prāspaṁdata - throbbed

||Sloka summary||

"Sita's left eye which is surrounded by a row of curved eyelashes, with broad black pupils in white, throbbed , like a red lotus gently struck by a fish, throbbed. ||29.02||

Sita is described as a lady with beautiful hair.

||Sloka 29.03||

bhujaśca cārvaṁcita pīnavr̥ttaḥ
parārthyakālāgarucaṁdanārhaḥ|
anuttamē nādhyuṣitaḥ priyēṇa
cirēṇa vāmaḥ samavēpatāsśu||29.03||

sa|| cārvaṁcita pīna vr̥ttaḥ vāma bhujaśca parārthyakālā agaru caṁdana arhaḥ anuttamēna priyēna cirēṇa adhyuṣitaḥ āśu samavēpata||

||Sloka meanings||.

cārvaṁcita pīna vr̥ttaḥ -
round and stout beautifully curved
parārthyakālā agaru caṁdana arhaḥ-
deserving the application of agaru and sandal paste
anuttamēna priyēna cirēṇa adhyuṣitaḥ-
for a long time used by her beloved for resting his head
vāma bhujaśca - her left shoulder
āśu samavēpata - suddenly throbbed.

||Sloka summary||

"Her round and stout beautifully curved arm, deserving the application of agaru and sandal paste, which was used by her beloved for resting his head, suddenly throbbed." ||29.03||

 

||Sloka 29.04||

gajēṁdrahastapratimaśca pīnaḥ
tayōḥ dvayōḥ saṁhatayōḥ sujātaḥ|
praspaṁdamānaḥ puna rūru rasyā
rāmaṁ purastāt sthita mācacakṣē ||29.04||

sa|| saṁhatayōḥ dvayōḥ asyāḥ ūruḥ pīnaḥ sujātaḥ gajēṁdrahastapratimaḥ praspaṁdamānaḥ rāmaṁ purastāt sthitaṁ ācacakṣē||

||Sloka meanings||

saṁhatayōḥ dvayōḥ asyāḥ ūruḥ -
her two thighs close to each other
gajēṁdrahastapratimaḥ -
resembling an elephant's trunk
pīnaḥ sujātaḥ - stout and well-shaped
praspaṁdamānaḥ - throbbing
rāmaṁ purastāt sthitaṁ ācacakṣē-
indicated as though Rama was standing in front

||Sloka summary||

One of her two well-shaped and stout thighs, which resemble the trunk of the king of elephants and are close to each other, throbbed again, indicating as though Rama was standing in front of her." ||29.04||

||Sloka 29.05||

śubhaṁ punarhēmasamānavarṇa
mīṣadrajō dhvastamivāmalākṣyāḥ|
vāsasthsitāyāḥ śikharāgradaṁtyāḥ
kiṁcitparisraṁsata cārugātyrāḥ ||29.05||

sa|| punaḥ amalākṣayāḥ śikharāgradaṁtyāḥ cārugātryāḥ sthitāyāḥ śubhaṁ hēmasamānavarṇaṁ īrṣat rajōdhvastam iva vāsaḥ kiṁcit parisaṁsrata||

Rama Tika says- amalākṣyāḥ nirmala nētrāyāḥ śikharāgravat dāḍima bījāgrabhāgavat dantā yasyāḥ cāru yasyāḥ tasyāḥ sthitāyāḥ sītāyāḥ śubhaṁ maṅgaḷapradaṁ hēmasamāna varṇaṁ īrṣat kiṁcit rajasā dhvasta miva vāsō astraṁ śubhaṁ śubhasūcakaṁ yathābhavati tathā kiṁcit parisraṁsat paryastraṁsat||

||Sloka meanings||

punaḥ amalākṣayāḥ -
Again as the lady with pristine eyes
śikharāgradaṁtyāḥ cārugātryāḥ -
well-shaped teeth, one with beautiful limbs,
sthitāyāḥ- standing
hēmasamānavarṇaṁ -
of the color of the gold
īrṣat rajōdhvastam iva vāsaḥ -
like a cloth slightly covered with dust
śubhaṁ kiṁcit parisaṁsrata -
slipped a bit auspiciously

||Sloka summary||

"Again, as the lady with pristine eyes, well-shaped teeth, and beautiful limbs stood up, her sari of golden hue but dull due to being soiled slipped a little, auspiciously." ||29.05||

||Sloka 29.06||

ētairnimittaiḥ aparaśca subhrūḥ
saṁbōdhitā prāgapi sādhu si ddhaiḥ|
vātātaplakāṁta miva praṇaṣṭam
varṣēṇa bījaṁ pratisaṁjaharṣa||29.06||

sa|| prāgapi sādhu siddhaiḥ ētaiḥ nimittaiḥ aparaiśca saṁbōdhitā subhr̥̄ḥ vātapraklāṁtaṁ praṇaṣṭaṁ bījaṁ varṣēṇa iva pratisaṁjaharṣa||

||Sloka meanings||

prāgapi sādhu siddhaiḥ -
( indicated) before also by experienced seers
ētaiḥ nimittaiḥ aparaiśca -
with these omens as also other indications
saṁbōdhitā - thus addressed
subhr̥̄ḥ - the lady with beautiful eyebrows
vātapraklāṁtaṁ praṇaṣṭaṁ bījaṁ - like a seed blighted by sun and wind
varṣēṇa iva - ( sprouted) with rain
pratisaṁjaharṣa - felt happy

||Sloka summary||

"Because of these omens which were in the past also indicated by Siddhas and others, Sita the lady with lovely eyebrows, felt happy like a withering seed which comes back to life with a shower of rain.||29.06||

 

||Sloka 29.07||

tasyāṁ punarbiṁbaphalādharōṣṭam
svakṣibhru kēśāṁta marāḷa pakṣma|
vaktraṁ babhāsē sitaśukladaṁṣṭram
rāhōrmukhāḥ caṁdra iva pramuktaḥ||29.07||

sa|| punaḥ tasyāḥ biṁbaphalādharōṣṭhaṁ svakṣibhr̥kēśāṁtaṁ arāḷapakṣma sitacārudaṁtaṁ vaktraṁ rāhōḥ mukhāt pramuktaḥ caṁdra iva babhāsē||

||Sloka meanings||

punaḥ biṁbaphalādharōṣṭhaṁ -
with beautiful red lips which are like Bimba fruit
svakṣibhr̥kēśāṁtaṁ arāḷapakṣma -
with curved eyelashes extending up to her hair
sitacārudaṁtaṁ -
with white lovely teeth
tasyāḥ vaktraṁ babhāsē -
her face shone
rāhōḥ mukhāt pramuktaḥ caṁdra iva -
like the moon that was released from the mouth of Rahu.

||Sloka summary||

Her face shining with beautiful red lips which are like Bimba fruit, with sparkling teeth, curved eyelashes extending up to her hair , looked like the moon that was released from the mouth of Rahu. || 29.07||

These omens were in vogue having been declared as such by people who knew. Poet describes that Sita, feeling a bit relieved, was looking like the full moon who came out of his encounter with Rahu.

This is the poet telling us that the sorrows of Sita are ending. Hanuman has seen Sita's sorrow, he has heard the threats of Rakshasa women, he heard Trijata's dream. The time is ripe for Hanuman to come out and reveal himself to Sita

||Sloka 29.08||

sā vīta śōkā vyapanīta taṁdrī
śāṁtajvarā harṣavivr̥ddhasatvā|
aśōbhatāryā vadanēna śuklē
śītāṁśunā rātri rivōditēna ||29.08||

sa|| aryā sā vītaśōkā vyapanītataṁdrī śāṁtajvarā harṣaviśuddhasattvā vadanēna śuklē uditēna śītāṁśunā rātriḥ iva aśōbhata||

Rama Tika says- vītō vyatītaḥ śōkō yasyāḥ vyapanītā gatā tandrā yasyāḥ śāntō jvarō manastāpō yasyāḥ harṣēṇa vivuddhaṁ prakāśitaṁ sattvaṁ cittaṁ yasyāḥ sā āryā sītā śuklē sitapakṣē śītāṁśunā candrēṇa rātririva vadanēna aśōbhata||

||Sloka meanings||

vītaśōkā vyapanītataṁdrī -
śōkamunuṁḍi viḍivaḍi , alasatvamu pōyi
śāṁtajvarā harṣaviśuddhasattvā vadanēna -
harṣamutō niṁḍi śuddhamaina manassukala adanamutō vunna
aryā sā - ā pūjyurālu
śuklē uditēna śītāṁśunā rātriḥ iva -
śuklapakṣamu nāṭi callani caṁdruni vale
aśōbhata - śōbhiṁcenu

||Sloka summary||

"That revered lady, feeling relieved from sorrows and exhaustion, with a serene sense of peace and a mind illumined with joy, had a charming face that looked like the cool moon on a bright fortnight." ||29.08||

In the Upanishads, we often encounter dialogues between the teacher and the student, where the teacher tests the student's readiness to receive the teachings. The teacher proceeds with the teachings only when satisfied with the student's preparedness.

There are five characteristics that a student must possess to be ready for learning:

-Belief in the goal to be achieved.
-Hunger to achieve that goal.
-Willingness to work for that goal.
-Patience to achieve that goal.
-Freedom from jealousy.

Sita, who desires only to reunite with Rama and disregards the temptations of wealth and power, embodies these five characteristics:

She is entirely focused on Rama and rejects all entreaties of Ravana, keeping a blade of grass between herself and him as a symbol of her devotion.
She is persistent in her sorrow and takes extreme measures, such as fasting and sleeping on the floor, to achieve her goal.
She is willing to give up her life if she cannot attain Rama.
She listens with rapt attention when Hanuman sings the story of Rama.
She does not blame Rama for neglecting her welfare, despite having thoughts about it.

These indicators suggest that Sita is in a receptive state and ready to receive guidance like a disciple ready to hear the Guru. Thus, Hanuman's appearance is timely.

This is what we learn from the twenty-ninth Sarga of the Sundarakanda in Valmiki's Ramayana.

Thus ends the twenty-ninth Sarga.

ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē vālmīkīyē
caturviṁśat sahasrikāyāṁ saṁhitāyām
śrīmatsuṁdarakāṁḍē ēkōnatriṁśassargaḥ||

Thus end the twenty-ninth Sarga in Sundarakanda of Valmiki Ramayana the first poem composed by the first poet in Sanskrit.

||ōṁ tat sat||