Ram & Sita: Me Without You is Incomplete part13: pg18 - Page 8

Heart wrenching tale of SiyaRam n their love...

Ram's trust in hanuman and he recognizing Goddess Sati 👏👏👏

Originally posted by: Krishna_Sourav

Heart wrenching tale of SiyaRam n their love...

Ram's love devotion her anguish ...Even GOD become so helpless infront of destiny n its game...

Originally posted by: shruthiravi

Ram's trust in hanuman and he recognizing Goddess Sati 👏👏👏

Thanks for this continuation Bheegi.

@Bheegi u said about Hanuman n I read it in a book ..Sharing it here..

Originally posted by: Hema48

Thanks for this continuation Bheegi.

The depiction of Ram's loss of self control over his emotions is not something you hear often so just shows how much he couldn't cope without Sita. Ironically though the next time Sita comes to the jungle it would have been Ram who sent her!

Poor souls they have had to suffer so much. It's almost from the time Sita wanted that deer and Ram wanted to get it for her, obviously a big mistake from both of them, it has all gone downhill for the couple.

May be that's why as you rightly said when the 2nd vanvas happens Ram has hardened himself and it's almost like he's stopped living then. He was merely fulfilling his kingly duties.

What a tragic love story!

Thanks Hema

Originally posted by: Krishna_Sourav

@Bheegi u said about Hanuman n I read it in a book ..Sharing it here..

yes Hanuman was the hope for SiyaRam...

I have told u all that I know of Ram's Sita said Hanuman... ' Now please point me to the ring of Sita's Ram ' .

Whay do u call him Sita's Ram ? Y not just Ram ? Why do u call her Ram's Sita ? Y not just Sita ? asked Vasuki, ignoring Hanuman's impatience ...

Ravana's rage separated Sita from Ram... Ayodhya's Gossip separated Ram from Sita...But Hanuman's tongue will never separated Sita from Ram or Ram from Sita...'

From

Sita ,An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik

Ram & Sita: Me Without You is Incomplete: part 8

Sundar Kanda

There is a reason this chapter of the Ramayana is called the Sundar Kanda.' Even though Ram's character as such is absent in this chapter, it's in this chapter we get to read about the depth of Sita's love for Ram. Hanuman was in a true sense the bridge between Ram and Sita who helped reunite them after the abduction. Besides Lakshman, he was the one character who witnessed and realized the depth of feelings Ram and Sita had for each other. This is also the chapter of hope- the first time Sita can visualize the light at the end of a tunnel.

When he went to seek Sita in Lanka it was clearly because of his love of Rama that he set out on that mission. When he met Sita, he was ready to turn Lanka upside down for the suffering that Ravana had caused her. Hanuman had seen Sita the way no one else had, or could. In captivity too she was brave, never giving in to Ravana's manipulative logic, shape-shifting and delusions. She had shared her anguish about the state of corruption that was embedded in everyone who visited her. If this way of being takes over, what will become of the future?' she had sighed when they both sat under that tree in Asokavan.

Naidu, Vayu (2012-12-01). Sita's Ascent (p. 141). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.

Here are a few citations from the sundar kanda that reflect the purity and depth of their love through the eyes of Hanuman:

Hanuman wandered out into the rambling gardens around the palace. His eyes roved everywhere, in some despair now; he had come this far, and nowhere yet was there any sign of Sita.

Then he thought of Rama. How would he tell the prince that Sita was nowhere to be found in Lanka, that she was probably dead? He shivered at the thought. "Rama will certainly kill himself," moaned poor Hanuman. In misery, he wrapped his arms even more tightly around himself.

Hanuman told himself, "Rama said that Sita loves flowers, trees, and all wild things, deer, squirrels, and birds. He said she spoke to them as if she knew each one's tongue.

He heard the sound of snoring, and then someone sigh softly. In a flash, Hanuman darted his little head round the arched ingress. His eyes grew round and his heart gave a lurch. Her yellow silk was soiled, her face was stained with tears, and she sighed from time to time amidst the rakshasis who lay asleep around her. But she shone in that shrine like a wafer of the moon, and there was no doubt in the vanara's mind. This was Rama's love, this was Sita! She had not eaten properly for days. But if anything, her beauty was heightened by her plight; it smoldered like fire hidden by ashes. Her face was tear-stained and unwashed. But not for a moment could any of Ravana's queens within their secure chambers, not even Mandodari by a long way, have held a candle to Sita. She had cast away all her ornaments and sat drooping like a wilted lotus. But she was the most beautiful woman Hanuman had seen, and would ever see.

His mind was a whirl. "Truly, she belongs with Rama; no other will do for her or for him. How do they live without each other? Their love is so strong it prevents them from dying of grief." A breath of that sorrow touched Hanuman's imagination, and he shivered. "Only Rama could stay alive after being separated from this Goddess."

For Sita's sake I have leaped across an ocean, and I would not wonder if Rama stands the universe on its head for her; for she is the rarest jewel in all of it. Oh, nothing in the three worlds can compare with Sita's beauty." Hanuman reflected on her character, more immaculate than her beauty. "She could have had any man or king, every luxury. She could have had the Devas at her disposal, had she been inclined to. But she followed Rama into the jungle, and she was happier there with him than she had ever been. Look at her now. What has she done to deserve the torment she suffers, the grief that savages her? "She does not notice the charms of this asokavana. She is blind to everything save the vision in her heart, of Rama's face."

Hanuman stood before Sita with his hands still folded, and he saw tears start in her eyes again. But these were tears of relief; he saw she did not doubt him any more. He said, "Rama sent this ring to you, so you could trust me." He stepped forward and shyly pressed the signet ring into her hands. Tears streamed again from her eyes, dripping onto the golden thing that lay in her palm. She felt Rama so near her that she might touch him.

Menon, Ramesh (2004-05-26). The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic (pp. 300-301). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kindle Edition.

Both Ram and Sita had shared their inmost fears and feelings with Hanuman. That's why, Hanuman knew they were inseparable and incomplete without each other (Jai Siya Ram)

"Hanuman, since he did not come for me all this while, the evil thought crossed my mind that perhaps Rama had stopped loving me. You don't know how happy I am that you have plucked that fear from my heart. I have my faith back now, and the strength to bear Ravana's torments for as long as I must. For as I look into his fearsome face, I will know that sooner than he dreams, he will lie dead and his rakshasas' blood will stain the earth. "Oh Hanuman, I hope my husband has not lost heart?" Hanuman said, "He did not forget you or lose heart; he did not know where you were. Now, as soon as I return to Kishkinda, Rama will come to Lanka. Sita, he is grief-stricken without you; he cries incessantly. How can you ever think he has forgotten you? He lives with Lakshmana in a cave on the mountain called Prasravana. When he wakes, it is with your name on his lips. And Lakshmana said to me, when Rama falls asleep, exhausted, he still whispers your name, over and over. If he sees any sight in the forest that pleases him, he tells you about it, shares it with you. Not for a moment are you away from Rama's thoughts; just as I see that not for a moment is he out of yours." Sita glowed. But she bit her lip, and her eyes filled again when she thought of Rama, that he was so far from her and heartbroken. She said, "Hanuman, when I hear he thinks of me, I am full of joy. But when I hear he grieves for me, I know the hell he must be in, and I am full of care for him.

"Yet deep in my heart I always know my Rama's love is beyond being affected by time and its trials: that despite everything, the sorrow and the ocean, he will come and take me back."

Menon, Ramesh (2004-05-26). The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic (pp. 324-325). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kindle Edition.

It took some convincing on Hanuman's part to reassure Sita that he was not a Rakshasa in disguise but Ram's messenger. Ram had sent his precious ring with Hanuman:

"Please don't be afraid of me. I am not Ravana's spy. I am not Ravana. I heard Ravana utter his threats and was trying hard not to attack him. Ma! Lord Rama is coming for you. He has asked me to give this ring to you, to confirm that I am indeed his messenger." Hanuman handed over Rama's ring to me. Looking at the ring was like looking at Rama's fingers. The fingers that could be gentle or harsh but were always firm. The way he held his bow, the way he held the rice while eating, the way he held my hand. Rama!!! I broke down when I saw the ring. I cried like I had never cried before. All the days before this moment, had melted away. I did not find the need to maintain a
faade of strength. I could break down. The monkey respectfully stood, waiting for my tears to subside.

Sundaram, Uma (2014-04-22). Seetayana: The Untold Journey (Kindle Locations 1993-1998). Uma Sundaram. Kindle Edition.

With Hanuman, Sita was comfortable to share the most private and intimate moments between her and Ram:

Similarly, when Sita is in captivity and sets her mind upon Rama to get her through those desperate and lonely days and nights, it is her memories that she calls upon, the intimate memories of the idyllic time they spent together in the forest. We are unexpectedly allowed to share their intimacy when Hanuman arrives in the ashoka grove and Sita gives him a story to take back to Rama, a story that only he
knows, a story that will prove that she is Sita and that Hanuman has found the right woman. Saying, the best token that I can give you is this message' (Sattar 463), she tells the monkey of a time when a crow pecked her breast and Rama was so angry that he empowered an insignificant blade of kusha grass to chase the crow through the three worlds and destroy him. Though she is speaking to Hanuman, Sita addresses the story to Rama. One day, when my body was still wet from my bath, you fell asleep with your head in my lap. A crow carrying a piece of meat in his beak began to attack me . . . I was angry with the bird and drew off my girdle. But my clothes slipped off and at that moment, you awoke and saw me. You began to laugh and I was terribly embarrassed. I hid in your arms to get away from the crow . . . You wiped the tears from my eyes and my face and hissing like an angry serpent, you said, "Lady with the thighs like an elephant's trunk, who has dared to strike you on the breast?"'

Sattar, Arshia (2011-06-09). Lost Loves: Exploring Rama's Anguish (Kindle Locations 1671-1673). Penguin Books Ltd. Kindle Edition.

"Ma! Lord Rama will want proof that I have indeed seen you. How do I convince him?" "Tell him my son, this incident that only he and I know. One day when we were walking in the forest, my sindoor got half washed away in my sweat. Rama playfully took up a pinch of the red clay soil and applied it on my forehead. I told him laughingly, "Now my mother has indeed blessed me!".

Sundaram, Uma (2014-04-22). Seetayana: The Untold Journey (Kindle Locations 2025-2029). Uma Sundaram. Kindle Edition.

Both Ram and Sita valued their dharma above everything else. That's why Sita refused to go back with Hanuman, even though the monkey offered to do so:

She paused again, and great dreams lit her sad eyes. "Dharma is for Rama to rescue me himself. Cross the ocean alone, good Hanuman, and bring Rama back to Lanka. Let there be war, a dharma yuddha, as is honorable, and let my husband win me back. Fate has not brought me to this pass to escape like a coward. Rama must come and kill Ravana in battle. Then my sorrow will end."

Menon, Ramesh (2004-05-26). The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic (p. 326). Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Kindle Edition.

I smiled at Hanuman. "No Hanuman! You are giving me an option that I would love to take.

However, we need to be righteous, even if our enemy is not. If you were to take me back to Rama, without Ravana's knowledge, by stealth, what is the difference between my Rama and this vile Ravana, who also got me by stealth. As a representative of Rama, even if you perform the deed, the motive will be ascribed to Rama. So I will not come with you. Tell Rama to come and rescue me quickly."

Sundaram, Uma (2014-04-22). Seetayana: The Untold Journey (Kindle Location 2001). Uma Sundaram. Kindle Edition.

..to be contd

The sindhoor story heard differently. But I loved this version. I will definitely try to read the books you have quoted from. You are always regular in your update and it is not an easy job also.Hats off to you.👏 Thank you. Enjoyed all the updates so far.