Made For Each Other - Part 11

Date: 2015-08-20 Author: Narahari Krishna das

Hare Krishna Prabhujis and Matajis, Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudev!

This is in continuation of the previous offering titled "Made for Each Other". We have been meditating on how the divine couple Mother and Lord are perfect match for each other in terms of qualities (anuguna dāmpatyam).

We will meditate on one important quality which is compassion towards surrendered souls. Both Lord Rama and Mother Sita are personification of compassion. But in this attribute, Mother Sita excels even Lord Rama as Her compassion is beyond imagination. Lord Rama exhibited His compassionate nature in accepting who surrendered to Him. When Vibheeshana approached Lord Rama for surrender (after being kicked out by ), there was lot of arguments in the camp of Sugreeva whether to accept him or not. Except all others said to Lord Rama that Vibheeshana should not be accepted. After hearing all their arguments, finally Lord Rama gave His opinion that even if a person surrenders once, He will accept that person and give him shelter. This shloka is considered the charama shloka (ultimate sloka) in 6.18.33:

sakṛd eva prapannāya tavāsmīti ca yācate abhayaṃ sarvabhūtebhyo dadāmy etad vrataṃ mama

I vouch safe security against all living beings to one who comes to me only once and seeks protection (from me), saying "Rama, I am yours." This is my vow.

Mother Sita, as a perfect match showed great compassion to the demons who were harassing her during her captive in Ashoka vana. Ravana ordered the demons in the garden to constantly threaten Mother Sita and persuade Her to accept Ravana as Her lord and husband. The demons threatened Sita that they will eat her, if she does not comply to the wishes of Ravana. However, Trijata who is the daughter of Vibhishana was constantly consoling Mother Sita and chastised the demons not to disturb Sita. Trijata had a dream where she saw Lord Rama vanquishing Ravana and his army. Trijata warned all her associates that her dream will come true. She advised them to be gentle with Mother Sita and surrender to Her for protection so that they will not be destroyed by Lord Rama when He kills Ravana in battle and destroys . Trijata spoke as follows:

praṇipāta prasannā hi maithilī janakātmajā alam eṣā paritrātuṃ rākṣasyo mahato bhayāt

This Mythili who is daughter of , is pleased by just an obeisance done to Her. And she is capable of protecting all of us from the great impending danger (which will be caused by Lord Rama and His army).

When mother Sita heard this statement of Trijata, she immediately replied 'yadi tat tatyam bhāveyam śaraṇam hi vaḥ', 'If what you say (my husband's victory) comes true, then I will protect all of you.' Here the demons did not even pray or surrender to Mother Sita. Still Mother Sita promised them protection and also fulfilled her promise out of her great compassion.

After the war, Hanumanji informed Sita about the Lord's victory and he asked for a benediction from her. "Please give your permission so that I will smash all these demons who threatened you and made you cry all these days." But Mother Sita remembered Her promise to Trijata and pacified Hanuman and said, "They are servants of Ravana and working for salary. They harmed me by his order just for filling their belly. Now he is dead and so they won't harm me." She advised Hanuman not to harm them. Hanuman became very much impressed by this and said, "O Mother, you are perfect match for the all-compassionate Lord Rama." Lord Rama accepted those who actually surrendered to Him, but mother Sita forgave and accepted those who did not even pray for it, just because they were connected to a pure soul namely Trijata. This shows her great compassion.

Lord Rama willing, we shall continue to meditate further on the compassion of this divine couple in the subsequent offerings.

Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Narahari Krishna das Chennai.