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Source: The Hindu (http://www.the-hindu.com)

 

Forbearance of the Divine Mother

 

CHENNAI, JAN. 9. The epic, Ramayana, which derives its name

because it describes the life of the Lord when He manifested as

Rama, has also been described as a narrative of the glory of Sita

and also as a description of the greatness of one who submitted

Herself to imprisonment. The Lord and the Divine Mother are

inseparable and according to the scriptures, She accompanies Him

in all His manifestations.

 

The Divine Mother's role during the Lord's incarnation as Rama is

perhaps unparalleled. Her greatness and qualities of compassion

and forbearance are brought to the fore in every episode. Swami

Vivekananda in one of his lectures had observed that if the

literatures of the world are perused, it would be possible to

find a thousand heroes like Rama but not another Sita. This

observation is the key to understanding Her role in the Ramayana.

 

Sita was the daughter of a mighty king and was married into the

family of another emperor and one can imagine the life of luxury

She must have been used to. But, She did not hesitate to

relinquish everything and follow Rama to the forest to lead a

life of hardship.

 

The Kamba Ramayanam describes Her frame of mind when Rama broke

the news to Her, ``After hearing Rama, Sita was not upset that

Her husband had lost His kingdom and that He had to go to the

forest as commanded by His father; but Rama's words that She

should stay in Ayodhya without any concern, while He went to the

forest, scorched Her ears and made Her sad.''

 

In her discourse, Dr. Sudha Seshayyan said that Sita accepted

such a drastic change in Her life with a positive outlook and

bore all the difficulties of forest life cheerfully. Her attitude

gives a clue to the purpose of the Lord's incarnations in the

world. While it is usually stated that it is to establish

righteousness whenever there is decadence in morality that God

manifests, His assumption of the human form as Rama was to

undergo all the trials and tribulations that human beings faced

in their lives.

 

The reversal in the fortunes of Rama and Sita from the time when

they were exiled to the forest just before His coronation and the

agony they faced after their separation when Ravana abducted Sita

and held Her captive in the Ashokavana have a lesson for

humanity. The torment Sita faced is a pointer to the Divine

Mother's forbearance and compassion to pardon the misdeeds of the

erring humanity. Most unexpectedly it is from Mandodari, Ravana's

wife, who had reason to harbour enmity towards Her, that Sita is

showered praise in the episode in which the demon king meets his

end.

 

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