Glory of Womanhood The Imprisoned Splendour SITA - Dr. Prema Nandakumar

It is generally believed that Ithihasas help us understand the significance of the Vedas.

Of the two epics of our tradition, the Ramayana "speaks of the imprisoned splendour" (sirai irundhaval etram sollukirathu). Valmiki has referred to his narrative as "the noble lifestory of Sita" (Sitaayaah charitham mahat). For Sri Vaishnavas, the Ramayana is witness to their aspirations in their daily life, religion and spirituality. Sita has continued to be the guiding-star of our culture and every action of hers is a lesson for a lifetime. The renowned orator, VS Srinivasa Sastri said all when he spoke of her in his epoch-making lectures delivered in the Madras Sanskrit College grounds in 1944;

"No woman that I have read of, certainly no woman that I have seen, comes near Valmiki’s conception of Sita. She is unapproachable. He has conferred on her all the attractions that woman could conceivably have. Beauty, tenderness of heart, compassion of the extreme type, fidelity, wisdom of the truest type, courage of the heart, endurance (what has not Sita endured), all these qualities find in her a harmonious abode. She is a piece of nature like which there was and can be none."

When we watch her speak for the first time in the Ayodhya Kanda, we are amazed by the steely sense of purpose exhibited by her to accompany Rama to the forest. Rama describes forest life as one of unimaginable difficulties (tasmaad dukhataram vanam) but Sita will not be denied. Her eloquence wins over Rama. The moment he says "yes", Valmiki finds Sita beaming with a smile (kshipram pramuditaa devi daatumeva prachakrame) and beginning to give away her riches as charity before leaving for the forest. Such is her total non-attachment to material things.

© "Nrisimhapriya" (October, 2003) published by Sri Nrisimhapriya Trust, # 30, Desika Bhavanam, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Website: www.ahobilamutt.org. Reprinted with permission.

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