is she capable - continuation

[Guest guest]

Dear sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

 

In reply to a question by one reader "is seethaa not capable of

eliminating raavaNa on her own?", we had a series of posts finally

concluding or explaining `how seethaa was capable' but she restrained

herself, did not do that job on her own, and waited for her lord

raamaa to do that job. [written by this person of meager capacity &

knowledge].

 

In continuation of that series, though already concluded, the

following additional points caught the attention and hence are placed

to prove again "seethaa was definitely capable". These are for your

consideration, comment, criticism.

 

Sage vaalmeeki in sundhara kaaNdam picturises seethaa, as seen by

hanumaan, as a lady, who became thin due to `upavaasam' – fasting -

not eating food.

 

thathO malina samveethaam raakshaseebhi: samaavruthaam|| 5-15-18

upavaasa krusaam dheenaam nisvasantheem puna: puna:|

dhadharsa sukla paksha aadhou chandhra rEkhaam iva amalaam || 5-15-19

 

[as already stated in other posts, 5 means sundhara kaaNdam, 15 is

sargam, and 18, 19 are slOkam numbers]

 

18b-19. thatha: = thereafter

dhadharsa = Hanumaan saw (Seetha)

malina samveethaam = wearing a soiled garment

samaavruthaam = surrounded

raakshaseebhi: = by raakshasa women

upavaasa krusaam = emaciated due to fasting

dheenaam = looking miserable

nisvasantheem = sighing

puna: puna: = again and again

amalaam chandhra rEkhaam iva = like the pure crescent moon

sukla paksha aadhou = at the beginning of a bright fortnight

 

meaning: Thereafter Hanumaan saw Seetha wearing a soiled garment,

surrounded by raakshasee women, emaciated due to fasting, like the

pure crescent moon at the beginning of a bright fortnight, looking

miserable, sighing again and again.

 

Point: Hanumaan sees seethaa for the first time in his life, but

concludes that it is she, as was described to him by sri raama and

lakshmaNa, but also concluded that she is fasting. See vaalmeeki

repeats that statement of `she is not taking food' in another slOkam.

 

asru poorNa mukheem dheenaam krusaam anasanEna cha |

sOka dhyaana paraam dheenaam nithyam dhuhkha paraayaNaam || 5-15-23

 

23. asru poorNa mukheem = with a face full of tears

dheenaam = in a pitiable condition

krusaam = emaciated

an asanEna = due to not taking food

sOka dhyaana paraam = immersed in thought with gloom

nithyam dheenaam = always in a pitiable state

dhuhkha paraayaNaam = surrendering to sorrow

 

Meaning: [hanumaan saw her] with a face full of tears in a pitiable

condition, emaciated due to not taking food, immersed in thought with

gloom, always in a pitiable state, surrendering to sorrow.

 

See one more slOkam repeating that statement –

 

thaam sameekshya visaalaaksheem adhikam malinaam krusaam || 5-15-26

tharkayaam aasa seethaa ithi kaaraNai: upapaadhibhi: |

 

26b-27a. sameekshya = observing

thaam = that woman

visaala aksheem = with wide eyes

adhikam malinaam = very untidy

krusaam = emaciated

tharkayaam aasa = Hanumaan thought (that)

seethaa ithi = this is indeed Seetha;

upapaadhibhi: kaaraNai: = on logical grounds.

 

Meaning: Observing that woman with wide eyes, very untidy, emaciated,

Hanumaan thought that this is indeed `Seetha' on logical grounds.

 

It is not only hanumaan concluded that way that seethaa is fasting,

but raavaNan, the abductor, is also stating that. See slOkam -

 

EkavENee dharaasayyaa dhyaanam malinam ambaram |

asthaanE~api upavaasascha naithaanyoupayikaani thE || 5-20-8

 

8. EkavENee = single plait

dharaasayya = the bed of ground

dhyaanam = meditation

malinam ambaram = dirty cloth

asthaanE upavaasascha = fasting at an inappropriate time

Ethaani = all these

na aupayikaani = are not useful

thE = to you

 

Meaning: raavaNan says to seethaa – `Single plaited, using ground as

bed, mediating, dirty cloth, fasting at an inappropriate time - all

these are not useful to you'.

 

Seethaa herself says `I am fasting' to hanumaan thinking him as

raavaNan, [when she doubts first that hanumaan may be raavaNa in

disguise] [later only she gets convinced].

 

upavaasa krusaam dheenaam kaama roopa nisaachara

santhaapayasi maam bhooya: santhaapam thanna sObhanam – 5-34-16

 

upavaasa krusaam = emaciated due to fasting

dheenaam = in a pitiable condition

kaama roopa nisaachara = hey rakshaasa, one having the desire

personified

maam santhaapayasi = you burn me

santhaapam = burning or heat

bhooya: = become or abide or become

thath na sObhanam = that is not welfare or good

 

meaning: hey raavaNa, [addressed to hanumaan with the thinking that

raavaNan has come in disguise of vaanara] I am emaciated due to

fasting and in a pitiable condition. By your desire on me, you are

burning me. It is not good for you to do that.

 

So it is adequately clear that seethaa is fasting. Now let us shift

our focus on raama. When hanumaan has convinced seethaa that he is

the genuine ambassador from her husband raama, has come in search of

her, to locate her whereabouts, and then to inform his lord about her

location and condition. While doing so, when asked by seethaa `how is

raama and lakshmaNa?' hanumaan says raama is not eating properly and

not sleeping etc. See slOkam

 

na maamsam raaghavam bhunkthE na chaiva madhu sEvathE | 5-36-41

meaning: raama does not eat meat nor enjoys drinking.

 

anidhra: sathatham raama: suptho~pi cha narOththama: | 5-36-44

seethEthi madhuraam vaaNeem vyaaharan prathi bhudhyathE ||

meaning: raama, the best among men, is always awake. Even if falls

asleep unconsciously, he wakes up saying `haa seethaa' in sweet voice.

 

dhrushtvaa phalam vaa pushpam vaa yachchaanyath sthree manOharam | 5-

36-45

meaning: whatever is liked by ladies like flowers, fruits, raama does

not use or touch.

 

So these slOkams show that both are in the same way – fasting and not

enjoying the life due to pangs of separation of one another. But

there is one big difference between them. What it is? Let us see in

next post.

 

Dhasan

 

Vasudevan m.g.