Thus addressed by Hanumat, Vaidehi, Janaka’s daughter, replied, ‘O supreme among apes! I wish to see my husband.’ Hearing her words, Hanumat, the immensely radiant son of the wind god, delighted Maithilee and addressed her in these words. ‘O noble one! You will see Rama, whose face is like the full moon, and Lakshmana, like Shachi sees the lord of the gods. His friends stand firm and his enemy has been killed.’ He addressed Sita, who was as radiant as Shri herself. With great speed, Hanumat went to the spot where Raghava was.
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Rama was supreme among all wielders of the bow. Having gone there, the immensely wise ape, who knew about the meanings of words, addressed him. ‘This task was started because of her and it has led to fruits. The queen, Maithilee, is tormented by grief. You should see her. She is immersed in grief and her eyes are overflowing with tears. Having heard about your victory, she has been filled with joy. She trusted me because of the earlier occasion.384 Because of her trust in you, she said, “My husband has been successful in his objective. I wish to see him, together with Lakshmana.” Hanumat told the one who was supreme among the upholders of dharma this. With his eyes full of tears, Rama suddenly started to think. He emitted deep and warm sighs. He looked at the ground. Vibhishana was like a cloud and was nearby. He told him, ‘Let Vaidehi be adorned in divine ornaments and let her be smeared with celestial pastes. After she has bathed her head, let her be brought here quickly.’
Thus addressed by Rama, Vibhishana hurried. Urged by his master and accompanied by women, he entered the inner quarters, where Sita was. ‘O Vaidehi!385 Adorn yourself in divine ornaments and smear yourself with celestial pastes. O fortunate one! Mount a vehicle. Your husband desires to see you.’ Thus addressed, Vaidehi replied to Vibhishana, ‘O lord of the rakshasas! I wish to see my husband without having had a bath.’ Hearing her words, Vibhishana said, ‘Rama is your husband and you should act in accordance with what he has said.’ The virtuous Maithilee was faithful and devoted to her husband and treated her husband like a divinity. Hearing his words, she consented. Sita bathed her hair and young maidens ornamented her. She was adorned in extremely expensive ornaments. She was attired in extremely expensive garments. She ascended a dazzling palanquin that was covered with an extremely expensive spread. Protected by many rakshasas, Vibhishana took her there. He went there and made it known to the great-souled one that he had arrived. He bowed down and happily informed that Sita had arrived.
She had resided in the residence of a rakshasa for a long time. On hearing that she had arrived, Raghava was filled with all three of joy, misery and rage. He saw that Vibhishana was near him. He reflected and thought deeply. Raghava addressed him in these cheerless words. ‘O lord of the rakshasas! O amiable one! You have always been engaged in ensuring my victory. Let Vaidehi be quickly brought into my presence.’ Vibhishana heard Raghava’s words of command. He endeavoured to ensure that everyone was swiftly cleared from that place. Men with cloaks386 and headdresses, with staffs made of cane in their hands, roamed around everywhere, dispersing people. Everywhere, hordes of bears, apes and rakshasas were made to withdraw some distance away. When all of them were being withdrawn, a roar arose. It was like the sound of the ocean, when it is agitated by a storm. In every direction, the terrified people were being dispersed away. On seeing this, because of resentment and compassion, Raghava prevented this. Rama was angry and seemed to burn down with his sight. He addressed the immensely wise Vibhishana in words of censure. ‘Ignoring me, why are you making these people suffer? Cease this attempt to disperse people. They are my own people. Women do not need houses, garments, walls, condemnation and this kind of royal treatment. Their covering is good conduct. There is no sin to women being seen at time of adversity, hardship, war, svayamvara,387 sacrifice or marriage. She has simultaneously suffered from war and great hardship. There is no sin to her being seen, especially because this is in my presence. O Vibhishana! Let her be brought quickly before me. Let Sita see me stationed here, surrounded by all the large numbers of my well-wishers.’
Thus addressed by Rama, the distressed Vibhishana humbly brought Sita to Rama’s presence. Hearing Rama’s words, Lakshmana, Sugriva and the ape Hanumat were also extremely unhappy. They detected terrible signs in the way he was looking towards his wife. They debated388 that Raghava was unpleasant towards his wife. Because of her shame, Maithilee seemed to shrink into her own body. Following Vibhishana, she approached her husband. In that assembly of people, because of her shame, she covered her face with her garment. As she approached her husband, she wept and exclaimed, ‘O noble one!’ Regarding her husband as a divinity, she was filled with amazement, delight and affection. With a face that was even more amiable, she glanced towards her husband’s amiable face. She looked for a long time at her beloved’s face, which was as handsome as the full moon when it has arisen. All her mental fatigue was dispelled. Her own face sparkled like the moon.
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Rama glanced at Maithilee, who was bowed down, next to him. He started to express the anger that raged in his heart. ‘O fortunate one! Having defeated the enemy in a battle, you have been won back by me. I have thus achieved what could be accomplished through manliness. My great intolerance has been quenched and I have cleansed the oppression. At the same time, I have removed the disrespect that the enemy exhibited towards me. Today, my manliness has been seen. My efforts have been successful. Through my own powers, I have accomplished the pledge today. When you were alone, you were taken away by a fickle rakshasa. That was a taint brought about by destiny. As a human, I have vanquished it. If a man does not use his energy to cleanse the disrespect that has been shown to him, what is the point of his manliness? He is limited in his energy. In leaping over the ocean and crushing Lanka, Hanumat performed praiseworthy deeds that have been rendered successful today. Sugriva and his soldiers exhibited valour in the field of battle and provide beneficial counsel. Today, their exertions have met with success. The devoted Vibhishana abandoned his brother, who was devoid of qualities, and presented himself before me. His exertions have met with success.’ Hearing such words, uttered by Rama, Sita’s eyes widened, like those of a doe, and became full of tears.
Seeing her, Rama was again filled with rage. He blazed, like a fire into which an excessive quantity of clarified butter had been sprinkled. He knit his eyebrows in a frown. With his eyes, he glanced sideways at her. In the midst of the apes and the rakshasas, he addressed Sita in these harsh words. ‘A man must act so as to cleanse any oppression caused to him. O Sita! I have been successful in that, cleansing the oppression at the hands of the enemy. Despite his austerities and despite cleansing his soul, the sage Agastya found the southern direction to be unassailable. I have conquered that world of the living. O fortunate one! Let it be known to you that this exertion in the field of battle, accomplished well because of the valour of my well-wishers, was not undertaken for your sake. My conduct has always been such as to ward off bad reputation in every possible way. I have cleansed the blemish that was associated with my famous lineage. You are standing in front of me and there is a doubt about your character. I am firm in my antipathy towards you, just as a person suffering in the eyes detests a lamp. O Janaka’s daughter! Therefore, you have my permission to go wherever you want. O fortunate one! These ten directions exist. I have nothing to do with you. If a woman has resided in the house of another, which energetic man, who has been born in a noble lineage, will take her back again, in a happy frame of mind? You were on Ravana’s lap.389 He has looked at you with wicked eyes. When I mention my great lineage, how can I take you back again? I won you back for a reason and I have got that fame back. I have no attachment for you. You can go wherever you desire. O fortunate one! I have spoken to you in this way after making up my mind. If it makes you happy, you can turn your mind towards Lakshmana or Bharata, Sugriva, Indra among apes, or Vibhishana, Indra among rakshasas. O Sita! Turn your mind towards them, or whatever else makes you happy. Ravana saw your divine and lov
ely beauty. O Sita! When you were roaming around in his house for such a long time, he must have molested you.’ Maithilee deserved to hear pleasant words, but heard these unpleasant ones spoken by her beloved. She released floods of tears and trembled severely for a very long time. She was like a creeper struck by the trunk of a gigantic elephant.
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Vaidehi was thus addressed in harsh words by the enraged Raghava and they made the body hair stand up. She was gravely pained. Earlier, Maithilee had never heard such words in an assembly of people. Hearing her husband’s harsh words, she was ashamed and mortified. Because of the stakes in those words, Janaka’s daughter was like a dog impaled by spikes.390 She shed copious tears. She wiped her face, which was overflowing with tears. Speaking in a slow and low voice, she addressed her husband in these words. ‘Such words are extremely terrible to the ear. O brave one! Like an ordinary man speaking to an ordinary woman, why are you making me hear such harsh words? O mighty-armed one! I am not what you take me to be. You should have trust in me. I swear on my own character. Because of the conduct of ordinary women, you are casting doubts on the entire species. If I have been tested by you, you should cast aside all doubt. O lord! I did not go to him. When he touched my body, I was incapacitated. I did not commit the crime out of my own desire. It was destiny. My heart was under my control and it was devoted to you. When one does not have a protector, what can one do with a body that comes under someone else’s control? O one who grants honours! We have grown up in proximity. If you have not understood my sentiments from that, I have been destroyed for an eternity. O brave one! You sent Hanumat to look for me. I was in Lanka then. O brave one! Why did you not abandon me then? O brave one! In the presence of the Indra among the apes, had you abandoned me then, I would have given up my life. There would have been no need for the exertion, or the need to set lives at risk. There would have been no need for this pointless suffering borne by your well-wishers. O tiger among men! However, you only followed your rage. You were like a feeble man, placing importance on a feminine sentiment. I was not really born from Janaka. I was born from the earth. O one who knows about conduct! You did not set great score to my conduct. Though you accepted my hand in marriage when both of us were children, this was not sufficient proof. You have turned your back towards my devotion, good conduct and everything else.’ Her voice choking with tears, she said this and wept.
Distressed and immersed in thought, Sita then spoke to Lakshmana. ‘O Soumitri! Prepare a funeral pyre for me. That is the medication for a calamity. Having suffered from a false accusation, I am not interested in remaining alive. My husband is displeased with my qualities and has abandoned me in an assembly of people. It is better that I should enter a fire, the destination for those who do not have a destination.’ Vaidehi told Lakshmana, the slayer of enemy heroes, this. Filled with great intolerance, she glanced towards Raghava. From the indicated signs, Soumitri understood what was in Rama’s mind. Given the valiant Rama’s inclination, Soumitri prepared a funeral pyre. With her face lowered, Vaidehi slowly circumambulated Rama and approached the blazing fire. Maithilee bowed down to the gods and the brahmanas. She joined her hands in salutation and approached the fire. ‘If my heart has always been with Raghava and never wavered, let the fire, which is a witness to the world, save me in every possible way.’ Having said this, Vaidehi circumambulated the fire. Without the slightest bit of hesitation in her mind, she entered the blazing flames.
There was an extremely large gathering of the young and the aged there and they saw Maithilee enter the fire. As she entered the fire, loud and extraordinary sounds of lamentation arose from the rakshasas and the apes.
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King Vaishravana, Yama, with the ancestors, the thousand-eyed great Indra, Varuna, the scorcher of enemies, the handsome three-eyed Mahadeva, with the bull as his banner, and Brahma, the creator of all the worlds and supreme among those who know about the brahman—all of them arrived in vimanas that were as radiant as the sun. They arrived in the city of Lanka and approached Raghava. The best among the gods raised their large arms, their hands full of ornaments, and spoke to Raghava, while he stood there, his hands joined in salutation. ‘You are the lord of all the worlds. You are supreme and best among those who know. How can you ignore Sita when she descends into the fire? Why don’t you comprehend your nature as the best among all the gods? Among the Vasus, you are the foremost Vasu, Ritadhama, who was a Prajapati.391 He was Svayambhu, the original creator of the three worlds. Among the Rudras, you are the eighth Rudra.392 Among the Sadhyas, you are the fifth.393 The two Ashvins are your ears and the sun and the moon are your eyes. O scorcher of enemies! You are seen at the beginning and the end of the worlds. Like an ordinary human, you are ignoring Vaidehi.’ The guardians of the worlds addressed Raghava, the lord of the worlds, in this way. Rama, supreme among the upholders of dharma, replied to the best among the gods. ‘I think of myself as human. I am Rama, Dasharatha’s son. You illustrious ones should tell me who I am and what I am.’
When Kakutstha said this, Brahma, supreme among those who know about the brahman, responded. ‘O Rama! O one for whom valour is the truth! Hear the truth. You are the god Narayana. You are the handsome lord who has the chakra as a weapon. You are the single-tusked boar. You are the one who has vanquished his enemies in the past and will in the future. You are without decay. You are the brahman. O Raghava! You are the truth in the middle and at the end.394 You are supreme dharma in the worlds. You are Vishvaksena.395 You are the four-armed one. You are the wielder of the Sharnga bow. You are Hrishikesha. You are Purusha.396 You are Purushottama.397 You have not been vanquished. You are the Vishnu who wields the sword. You are the immensely strong Krishna. You are the leader of armies and villages. You are intelligence. You are the spirit. You are forgiveness. You are self-control. You are the origin. You are the destruction. You are Upendra. You are Madhusudana. You perform deeds for Indra. You are the great Indra. You are Padmanabha.398 You are the one who ends battles. You are the one who grants refuge. You are the refuge. The maharshis have spoken of you as the divine one. You are the one with one thousand horns. You are the soul of the Vedas. You are the one with one hundred tongues. You are the great bull. You are the sacrifice. O scorcher of enemies! You are vashatkara.399 You are omkara.400 No one knows about your origin or your end. You are seen in all creatures, in cattle and in brahmanas. You are in all the directions, the sky, the mountains and the rivers. You possess a thousand feet. You are the one with Shri. You possess a hundred heads. You possess a thousand eyes. You bear the earth, with all its creatures and the mountains. You are the giant serpent,401 seen in the water at the bottom of the earth. O Rama! You sustain the three worlds, with the gods, the gandharvas and the danavas. O Rama! I am your heart. The goddess Sarasvati is your tongue. O lord! The gods, created by Brahma, are your body hair. Night has been said to be the closing of your eyes and day the opening of your eyes. You are the pure speech of the Vedas. There is nothing without you. Everything in the universe is your body. The earth is your patience. The fire is your anger. Your equanimity is Soma.402 You bear the srivatsa mark.403 In ancient times, with three valorous strides, you traversed the three worlds. Having bound the great asura, Bali, you made the great Indra the king. Sita is Lakshmi and you are the god Vishnu. You are Krishna. You are Prajapati. You entered a human body in this world for the sake of killing Ravana. O supreme among the upholders of dharma! You have performed the task for us. O Rama! Now that Ravana has been killed, we can cheerfully return to heaven. Your strength and valour are invincible. Your power never fails. Men who are devoted to you never fail. O god! If men faithfully chant about you as the ancient Purushottama, it is certain that they will never be vanquished.’
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The Valmiki Ramayana Page 119
