Sushmajee
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Seetaa-15
1. Who was Seetaa? Was Seetaa the Incarnation of Lakshmee? Was Seetaa really the Goddess Lakshmee? This question is often raised and answered by commentators. Raavan kidnapped umpteen numbers of beautiful women and goddesses, but why his dialogs with Seetaa are given many shades of meanings by almost all commentators. Is this for proving Raavan as devotee of Lakshmee or else to prove that Seetaa is not a human but Devee Lakshmee - is the collateral objection. Apparently, Seetaa behaved like a normal woman but latently her speeches, verbiage, or the words put by Vaalmeeki on her tongue, indicate that she is an all-powerful enigma... without saying who she is. Then another counter objection - it is all correct to say that all Puraan say that these characters in Raamaayan are incarnated as Devtaa and Devee, as Vishnu Puraan also says. But is it said by Vaalmeeki in his epic too? For this it is answered, though it is not said explicitly there are many instances indicating towards the divinity of Seetaa. Seetaa asks Fire-god to become cool for Hanumaan, when his tail is burned saying "seeto bhav hanumataa" and likewise She could have said "hato bhav Raavan" means: "dead you are Raavan...'". But She does not say it, because Raam has to undertake that process of elimination of vice called Raavan, as Seetaa said in Sundar Kaand (22/20): "As I have no indication from Raam to burn you down, nor do I wish to waste my ascetic power, therefore I do not burn you to ashes, though you are worthy to become a mound of ash...". In the very next verse of Aranya Kaand (22/21), She directly says to Raavan: "I am un-seizable for [anyone] as I am the wife of bold Raam, but it happened so, for you are fated to doom [because you could seize me...] undoubtedly..." Again in Yuddh Kaand (117/28) Brahmaa Jee in eulogizing Raam for eliminating Raavan says: "seetaa lakshmeeh bhavah vishnuh..." means: "Seetaa is Lakshmee and you are Vishnu..." Like this, there are many bits and pieces of information to establish her as an incarnation of Vedvatee alias Devee Lakshmee." [by Govindaraja]. Then why She and Raam behaved like humans in their wailing, moaning, and bawling is again a second query. This is according to "Lok Reeti or Laukik Vidhaan" means: "humanly nature, behavior in human world..." Though this humanly behavior is not innate trait as Raam says "aatmaanam aham maanusham manye" means: "I for myself confess to be human..." Hence this humanly wailing and bawling are due to an adopted human behavior, where incarnation itself is an adaptation. There is no instance to quote that Raam or Seetaa had performed some miracles, special effects or any other optical works... . This wizardry is shown by demons and monkeys but not by mannish Raam or womanish Seetaa. Their humanly behavior is to show themselves as one with the humans, asking humans to undergo these series of sufferings to eliminate unrighteousness, either in the society or within themselves. Besides, their mission is to make believe Raavan that they are just humans, as Raavan can be killed by humans and monkeys only, but not to hoodwink readers, the adherents or all of us put together. (Maheshvar Teerth). This incarceration of Seetaa in Ashok Vaatikaa is viewed as the incarceration of the innate soul in taken birth in an human being's body. The release from that body, namely "Moksh" is achievable only when that being wants a perfect release by transcending the threefold nature consisting of "Satwa, Rajas, and Tamo Gun" means: "purity, activity and stolidity..." and with an unswerving devotion to the Supreme as said in Gita, 14:26: "And such- / With single, fervent faith adoring Me, / Passing beyond the Qualities, conforms / To Brahmaa, and attains Me!" - (Sir Edwin Arnold). God Almighty is said to be masculine single, the rest of the universe is taken as feminine, as said in Vishnu Puraan. Then the way the innate soul called Seetaa is incarcerated is, when She had no help of the Supreme or the Adherent of the Supreme, [Raam and Lakshman] Decahedral demon [the demon called Ten Motor Senses or ten-headed Raavan] came and captured the Soul, Seetaa, and incarcerated that soul in Lankaa. The syllable "lam" lam - the Beejaakshar stands for earth, and because body is earthly, lascivious and carnal, the soul enters that body by its bondage. If that soul again tries for a final release, that soul shall seek the Ultimate as said in the verse of Geetaa, quoted above. Why Raavan could lift Lakshmee Jee and why not Lakshman Jee? If She is an incarnation of Devee Lakshmee, how then can Raavan lift her up and carry this far - is a great dilemma. Because Raavan's strength became useless to lift up Lakshman Jee who swooned in the battlefield when Raavan used Shakti missile on him. In Yuddh Kaand, Sarg 59, verse 111, it is said: "Raavan may have lifted Himvaan Parvat, Mandaraachal Parvat, Meru Parvat or all the three worlds along with all Devtaa, but he could not lift up Bharat's brother Lakshman with both of his shoulders..." How Could He Lift Lakshmee Jee? The legend goes on to say that Vedvatee was the brainchild of a sage called Kushdhwaj, and he had decided to give Vedvatee only to Bhagavaan Vishnu in marriage. But it was an unfulfilled desire in his lifetime. So Vedvatee started a rigorous penance to achieve her father's wish. When she was at the culmination point of her penance, Raavan passing that way in skyway saw this beautiful lady, came to her, and disturbed her penance. Vedvatee coming out of her meditation cursed Raavan saying that she would reincarnate herself to destroy Raavan and his entire dynasty. Then she caused a Yaugik fire and immolated herself in it. Raavan took this as prattle by a woman-hermit, dismissed that curse, and conveniently forgot it. Later, Raavan being an ardent devotee of Bhagvaan Shiv, one day entered a lake to get lotuses for his daily worship of Shiv and found a baby in a lotus among other lotuses. He brought that lotus and the baby to his palace, in all his fondness for children. But his empress Mandodaree doubted the arrival of this baby in lotus and recognized that baby as Devee Lakshmee. They consulted their teachers about that baby's arrival. Those teachers, priests and Pandit advised them to get rid of that baby immediately, for She was Vedvatee, arrived there only to end Raavan and his dynasty. Then Mandodaree ordered her servants to carry away that baby in a casket, and bury it. Empress Mandodaree further cursed that girl saying: "this faithless girl [for wealth is no faithful to anybody, and this girl was recognized as Devee Lakshmee - presiding deity of the Wealth] will thrive only in a house, where the householder has his senses conquered, and who being an emperor lives like a perfect hermit, and who, though wealthy and supreme by himself, will care nothing for the riches but view whole of the world and people as his own soul, with an impartial attitude..." Mandodaree thought that such a person was impossible to take birth in this mortal world, and thus presumed this curse would work. But there was a King Janak who had all these attributes. A king without ego, wealthy one, living simple, childless but yet does not crave for children like King Dasharath. Hence, he was called Raajarshi, a saintly king. While King Janak was about to perform a Vedic ritual - he had to till some piece of land as a ceremonial act to commence that ritual. Then this casket with the baby is touched to the blade at the end of plough-beam and that plough halted. The attendants dug up that area only to find that casket with baby. The childless Janak took the baby into his arms and named her as 'Seetaa...' where Seetaa in Sanskrit means 'furrow' [This is as per Aanand Raamaayan]. Thus, Devee Lakshmee became Vedvatee and Vedvatee became Seetaa of Raamaayan. As such Vaalmeeki calls his Raamaayan "seetaayah charitam mahaan..." And Why not Lakshman Jee?
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Created by Sushma Gupta On 5/27/04
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 06/15/13