Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa walked ahead and reached Sage Atri’s āśrama. Rāma prostrated before him and the sage received him like a son. He personally provided hospitality to Rāma and cheered up Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. His wife, the aged and noble Anasūyā received Sītā. Atri narrated to Rāma about his dhārmic wife: “Once when the world was ravaged by severe drought for ten years, Anasūyā created roots and fruits and made the river Jāhnavī flow out of the power of her intense tapas. At another instance, for the sake of the devas she even reduced ten nights into one. She is like your mother, my dear child. Let Sītā go to her.” Rāma conveyed this to Sītā and asked her to approach the noble woman.
Anasūyā was very old, her skin wrinkled, her hair grey, and her body trembled constantly. She variously praised Sītā for her virtuous character. She said, “How fortunate that you abandoned your riches and kinsmen to follow your husband to the forest. A woman who holds her husband dear, irrespective of being in the city or in the forest, gains high merits in all the words. To a woman, her husband is the supreme deity irrespective of his character. Ignoble women, who are slaves of their desires, boss over their husbands and thus get perished. Wise women like you occupy the highest place in the svarga.”
Sītā replied, “I am aware, Āryā, a husband is a woman’s guru. Even if my husband was lacking in noble conduct, I would have obeyed him. What more to say, when my husband is praised by everyone for his virtues and is constant in his love, wouldn’t I follow him? Rāma defers to his mother and holds his father dear. He treats all his father’s women exactly the way he behaves towards Kausalyā. I have kept in my heart the instructions given to me by my mother-in-law as I was leaving for the desolate forest. The lessons my mother imparted to me before I got married are firmly lodged in my mind as well. Your words, Āryā, have reminded me of their teachings. Sāvitrī and Arundhatī hold exalted positions in svarga because of their devotion to their husbands. Rohiṇī is never separated from Candra for the same reason.”
Anasūyā was extremely pleased hearing Sītā’s words. She smelled and kissed her head and said, “I can grant you anything you want through the power of my tapas, Sītā. Tell me what you want.” Sītā said, “You have already given me the best!” These words pleased the dhārmic lady even more. Anasūyā said, “Come, my dear Sītā. I will repay you for the delight you have given me. Here are divine garlands, jewellery, and a precious ungent that will beautify your body. With this applied to your body, you will adorn your husband just as Lakṣmī adorns Mahā-viṣṇu. Sītā bowed down to the noble lady and accepted her gifts.
Out of curiosity, Anasūyā asked Sītā, “I have heard that Rāghava won your hand in a svayaṃvara. I would like to hear the tale in full. Could you please tell me?”
Sītā then started narrating, “The dhārmic king of Mithilā, Janaka, once, while tilling the land found me – I arose breaking through the earth – so the story goes. The childless king wished to adopt me as his daughter and a human voice, unlike any heard before, arose from the skies. It said, ‘She has been dhārmically ordained to be your daughter, O king!’ As I came of age, my father wanted to get me married. As I was born through a human womb, the wise king decided that he would arrange a svayaṃvara involving a test of skill. He possessed a brilliant bow and a pair of quivers with inexhaustible arrows that were bestowed upon him by Varuṇa. My father made known to the world that he would give my hand in marriage to the man who would raise the bow and string it. Many kings tried their hand and were unable to lift it. After a long time, the valiant Rāghava arrived with Viśvāmitra and in the blink of an eye strung and broke the bow. Though my father wished to offer me in marriage immediately, Rāghava would not agree until he got to know the will of his father, King Daśaratha. So, my father invited my father-in-law, Daśaratha and bestowed me onto the celebrated Rāma. My loving sister, Ūrmilā married Lakṣmaṇa. This is how I married Rāma and I love him deeply, ever since.”
Upon hearing this extraordinary tale, Anasūyā hugged Sītā and said, “You spoke with so much detail using sweet words. Each word and every syllable were clear. I am delightfully charmed, my dear child. The Divine Sun is now setting making way to the gracious night. You can hear the birds twitter as they return to their homes. You can see sages returning after their evening bath with her bark garments wet. Adorned with stars, night is enveloping and the moon is ascending on to the skies. You may now attend on Rāma. But first, let me myself deck you up, my child. Allow me to have the pleasure of seeing you beautified with these divine ornaments.”
Rāma was extremely delighted to see Sītā decked in the loving gifts of the tapasvinī. He spent the night in the āśrama.
The next morning, Rāma following the route advised by the brāhmaṇas, walked back into the thick forest with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa and looked like the Sun entering a group of dark clouds.
Here ends the Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
~
Araṇya-kāṇḍa Begins
As they walked through the Daṇḍakāraṇya, Rāma spotted an āśrama that resounded with the chanting of the Vedas and was filled with brahma-jñānīs. Recognising it as an abode of great tapasvīs, Rāma loosened his bow string and entered the region. The ascetics received them with immense respect and were astonished to see the charming forms of Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa. They sought Rāma’s protection and honoured him. After spending the night at the āśrama, they walked ahead into the forest.
There, in the heart of the forest, Rāma spotted a man-eating rākṣasa, towering like a mountain. He had a huge mouth, deep eyes, and a deformed belly. A terror to behold, he was clad in tiger skin that was dripping with blood. On a spear, he held three lions, four tigers, two wolves, ten antelopes, and the massive head of an elephant including its tusks. As soon as he spotted Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa, he let out a ghastly roar and captured Sītā. He walked away, as he said, “You young men, dressed like ascetics share a wife! I am the rākṣasa Virādha and this beautiful woman will be my wife!” Hearing his words, Sītā started trembling.
Looking at Sītā, who was captured by the rākṣasa, Rāma’s mouth went dry and he said to Lakṣmaṇa, “Every evil thing that Kaikeyī desired for us has come true. Nothing pains me more than seeing someone touch and seize Vaidehī! Losing my kingdom and my father have not pained me this deeply!” Lakṣmaṇa instilled courage in his brother and said that he would vanquish the rākṣasa in no time. Upon Virādha’s demand, Rāma told him about themselves and the rākṣasa said, “I am the son of Jaya and Śatrahradā. Pleased with my tapas Brahmā has granted me that no weapon can kill me. Abandon this woman and run for your life!” Enraged, Rāma fired arrows at rākṣasa and the brothers chopped off his arms. Fall on to the ground, Virādha said to the Rāma, “Now, I realise, you must be Rāma, he Lakṣmaṇa, and this lady, the illustrious Vaidehī. I am a gandharva called Tumburu. In the past, I fell in love with the apsarā Rambhā, and was, therefore, cursed by Vaiśravaṇa to take this monstrous body of a rākṣasa. He told me that only when Rāma slays me in a battle I would return to svarga in my true form. With your blessings, I am now freed of my curse. You should visit Sage Śarabhaṅga who lives close by. Please bury me before you leave!”
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa cast him into a pit, recovered Sītā, and set out for Śarabhaṅga’s āśrama.
As they approached Śarabhaṅga’s āśrama, Rāma spotted the divine form of Indra, who was standing without touching the ground. His ornaments were sparkling bright and many divine beings were worshipping him. Near the deity, Rāma saw a brilliant chariot hovering in midair, endowed with chatra and cāmaras. Recognising him, Rāma rushed to him. Indra too recognised Rāma, but said, “Before he can talk to me, take me back to my abode. Once he has accomplished his great task and gained victory, I will see him without delay.” Indra took leave of the tāpasa Śarabhaṅga and departed to svarga.
Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa bowed down to Śarabhaṅga, who told them that he had gained a place Brahma-loka with his intense tapas but was waiting to see Rāma before he left. Upon Rāma’s request for advice, Sage Śarabhaṅga asked him to visit the ascetic Sutīkṣṇa for guidance about a safe dwelling place. The sage then gave up his body by entering fire and entered Brahma-loka.
To be continued...
[The critically constituted text and the critical edition published by the Oriental Institute, Vadodara is the primary source. In addition, the Kannada rendering of the epic by Mahāmahopādhyāya Sri. N. Ranganatha Sharma and the English translation by Sri. N. Raghunathan have been referred.]
