is she capable 2

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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 <http://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.