is she powerful 2

[Guest guest]

Post 2

Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

Continuing the answer to the question "is seethaa powerful?" –

another small story – this also appeared in bow story - post 3 – why

I add that here again in spite of the comment on repetition, is to

emphasize that seethaa as a child [or as a small girl], is highly

powerful, physically, than ordinary mortals.

 

Quote –

The author of www.valmikiramayan.net web site gives a comment as

follows for slOkam 18 and 19 in sargam 66 of baala kaaNdam.

 

Comment: This bow of Shiva will be transported on a wheeled casket-

cart with 8 wheels and drawn by 5000 robust persons. This is narrated

in next chapter [sargam 67 of baala kaaNdam]. 'It is drawn by drawn

by 500 bulls...' aananda raamayana says so. In other versions of

Ramayana, it is said that many people will pull that casket-cart, as

one or two persons cannot haul it. Once, when Seetha was playing with

other girls, their flowery ball of girl's rugby goes under this cart.

None of her girlfriends is dare enough to near this bow-casket-cart,

since it is a reverential casket-cart. But Seetha goes there and

pushes that casket-cart aside with her left hand, as though it is a

garland, and retrieves that flower ball. This capability of Seetha in

easy handling of Shiva's bow, becomes a bane to her, when one among

the wives of sapta rishi 'Seven Sages' issues a curse to Seetha,

saying that 'Seetha will be separated from her husband for some time,

of course, for the good of people'. So says the tradition.

Unquote.

 

Point: Here again, as a small girl, seethaa's capability in pushing

that mighty bow of siva is spelt. May be, this, again, is not found

in vaalmeeki raamaayaNam but elsewhere [in paadma puraaNam as I

understand].

 

Next point on `is seethaa's powerful?'

While commenting on the very famous slOkam at the time of the

marriage of seethaa, in the book raama piraanaik kaRpOm,

poundareekapuram srimadh aaNdavan swamy says: [the slokam runs as

follows, and meaning, then swamy's comment]

 

Slokam:

iyam seethaa mama suthaa saha dharma charee thava|| 1-73-26

pratheechCha cha Enaam bhadram thE paaNim gruhNeeshva paaNinaa|

 

meaning: This is Seetha, my daughter, she acquits herself in whatever

duty you undertake. Take her wishfully, let safeness betide you, take

her palm into your palm." [1-73-26b, 27a]

 

comment by srimadh swamy: janaka says to raama - IYAM SITA: "Oh!

Raamaa! It is said that your face is like the full moon and that your

qualities of head and heart attract both males and females alike. You

may feel unduly proud of yourself thinking that because of this,

people flock to you to offer their daughters in marriage to you. Oh!

Raamaa! Look up at this seethaa! You know for what?

 

thulya seela vayO vriththaam thulya abhijana lakshaNaam |

raaghavO arhEthi vaidEheem tham cha iyam asithEkshaNaa ||

(Vaalmeeki RaamaayaNam Sundara KhaaNDam –16 – hanumaan says on seeing

seethaa)

 

[meaning of above slokam]"Whether in culture or age or virtue, or in

being born in a noble family - This Seethaa is equal to you in every

respect. If your eyes are charming, her eyes are more so. Her charm

will haunt you so much that at one stage you are going to cry out

openly "Totally surrendering myself to the beauty of her eyes, I

cannot live even for a moment without her"

(na JeevEyam kshaNamapi vinaa taam asitEkshaNaam

– raamaa in separation - in kishkintha kaaNdam).

It is this Seethaa, I am talking about as "iyam seethaa".

 

This comment by MGV: as per father – when janaka says `this seethaa

is equal to you, oh, raama in all aspects', this seethaa, `iyam

seethaa', will she not be equal in power or capability like raama?

will she be `powerless' or less capable? May not be just equal to

raama, but definitely be a trifle less powerful and capable to raama,

but far superior to others.

 

Now let us see another `iyam saa' – meaning this lady, seethaa, by

same hanumaan

iyam saa yath kruthE raama: chathurbhi: parithapyathE |

kaaruNyEna aanrusamsyEna sOkEna madhanEna cha || 5-15-49

sthree praNashtaa ithi kaaruNyaadh aasrithaa ithi aanrusamsyatha: |

pathnee nashtaa ithi sOkEna priyEthi madhanEna cha || 5-15-50

meaning: "This is She [this seethaa] for whose sake Raamaa tormented

in four ways –

from compassion- a woman has disappeared,

from pity – for she is totally depending on him,

from grief- for the wife has been lost,

from love – for she is a dear one.

 

This slOkam is taken not for seethaa's power – but that this is that

seethaa – `iyam seethaa' - `equal' to raamaa – so both are equal even

in suffering - the suffering due to separation from one another – to

show that equality in both in whatever they do - as stated by

hanuman – a highly knowledgeable person - to describe that suffering -

in that manner. Can we say hanuman is equal to janaka in knowledge?

Let us see more on the question in next post also.

 

Dhasan

Vasudevan m.g.