Made For Each Other -Part 9
Date: 2015-08-17 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 will continue to see how the divine couple Sri Sri Sita Ram are perfect match in terms of physical strength and valor. We will learn about the power of Mother Sita due to Her chastity.
When Mother Sita was held captive in the Ashoka vana by Ravana, Ravana first enticed Sita with attractive promises that she will be made the queen of Lanka if she becomes Ravana's wife. And when Sita did not budge, he then threatened to kill her if she does not comply to his desire within two months. Mother Sita became furious and said the following words to Ravana in reply. (Ramayana -5.22.20)
asaṃdeśāt tu rāmasya tapasaś cānupālanāt na tvāṃ kurmi daśagrīva bhasma bhasmārhatejasā
O Ravana! Although you are fit to be burnt into ashes by my power of chastity, I am not reducing you into ashes because I do not have the permission of Lord Rama to burn you. Hence I’m with holding my spiritual power.
Though she did not burn Ravana, Ravana and his army was very much condemned by the powerful Mother Sita and with the result, they were destroyed in the war. The Bhagavata purana states this as, "sītābhimarṣa-hata-maṅgala- rāvaṇeśān" (SB 9.10.20) which means, "Thus the soldiers of Lord Ramacandra killed Ravana's soldiers, who had lost all good fortune because Ravana had been condemned by the anger of Mother Sita." Srila Prabhupada states in purport, "The soldiers Lord Ramacandra recruited in the jungle were all monkeys and did not have proper equipment with which to fight the soldiers of Ravana, for Ravana's soldiers were equipped with weapons of modern warfare, whereas the monkeys could only throw stones, mountain peaks and trees. It was only Lord Ramacandra and Lakshmana who shot some arrows. But because the soldiers of Ravana were condemned by the curse of mother Sita, the monkeys were able to kill them simply by throwing stones and trees."
The great power of Mother Sita was recognized by another chaste woman Mandodari, the wife of Ravana. After Ravana was killed, Mandodari cried and stated as follows:
SB 9.10.27 na vai veda mahā-bhāga bhavān kāma-vaśaṁ gataḥ tejo ’nubhāvaṁ sītāyā yena nīto daśām imām
O greatly fortunate one, you came under the influence of lusty desires, and therefore you could not understand the influence of mother Sita. Now, because of her curse, you have been reduced to this state, having been killed by Lord Ramacandra.
Srila Prabhupada explains, "Not only was mother Sita powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of mother Sita can also become similarly powerful… Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sita is among them. Mandodari, the wife of Ravana was also very chaste… As a man must follow great personalities like Brahma and Narada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sita, Mandodari and Draupadi. By staying chaste and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural power." Lord Rama also taught that man also must be chaste to his wife. After Mother Sita entered the earth after giving birth and raising Lava and Kusha, Lord Rama observed complete celibacy for 13000 years and did not marry any other woman. Thus Lord Rama and Mother Sita exemplifies ideal couple in terms of strength valour and spiritual power due to chastity.
Lord Rama willing, we shall continue to meditate further on this divine couple in the subsequent offerings.
Thank you very much. Yours in service of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Gurudeva, Narahari Krishna das Chennai.