Friday, August 05, 2011

she is my daughter

ततः सीतां समानीय सर्वाभरणभूषिताम्।
समक्षमग्ने संस्थाप्य राघवाभिमुखे तदा॥२५
अब्रवीज्जनको राजा कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनं।
इयं सीता मम सुता सहधर्मचरी तव॥२६
प्रतीच्छ चैनां भद्रं ते पाणिं गृह्णीष्व पाणिना।
पतिव्रता महभागा छायेवानुगता तव॥२७
इत्युक्त्वा प्राक्षिपद् राजा मन्त्रपूतं जलं तदा।
साधु साध्विति देवानामृषीणां वदतां तदा॥२८
देवदुन्दुभिनिर्घोषः पुष्पवर्षो महानभूत्।
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे बालकाण्डे अध्यायः ७३
tataḥ sītāṁ samānīya sarvābharaṇabhūṣitām|
samakṣamagne saṁsthāpya rāghavābhimukhe tadā||25
abravījjanako rājā kausalyānandavardhanaṁ|
iyaṁ sītā mama sutā sahadharmacarī tava||26
pratīccha caināṁ bhadraṁ te pāṇiṁ gṛhṇīṣva pāṇinā|
pativratā mahabhāgā chāyevānugatā tava||27
ityuktvā prākṣipad rājā mantrapūtaṁ jalaṁ tadā|
sādhu sādhviti devānāmṛṣīṇāṁ vadatāṁ tadā||28
devadundubhinirghoṣaḥ puṣpavarṣo mahānabhūt|
śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe bālakāṇḍe adhyāyaḥ 73


Visvaamitra leads the two boys Rama and Lakshmana to the kingdom of the philosopher king Janaka.  There Rama proves his valour by breaking the huge bow of Shiva and becomes eligible to woo the hands of the beautiful Sita.. Janaka is overjoyed and sends his missives to Dasaratha proposing the marriage of Sita with Rama, and also proposing his own daughter Urmila  and his nieces Mandavi and Shrutakiirti for Lakshmana, bharatha and shatrugna  respectively. A happy  Dasaratha with his imposing royal retinue led by his Kulaguru Sage Vasishta arrives at Mithila.  The four marriages are arranged.  All assembled in the group suggest that sage Viswamitra should conduct the marriage ceremony but Viswamitra gracefully suggests that Vasishata the great Sage and Satananda son of sage Gouthama, who is also  Janaka's purohita should lead the Vedic ceremony.  The festivities start.  The sacrificial fire is lit. 
 At the appointed time King Janaka enters the dias holding the hands of Sita and leads her to be seated before the fire, Sita is adorned with all sorts of jewels. Facing her is seated the gem of the clan of Raghus, Sri Rama.  Janaka addressed  the following words to Rama who is born to enhance the happiness of mother Kausalya .
 " This is Sita, my daughter, she will be for ever your partner in discharging your sacred obligations.  Please take her hand in your own and accept her as your own. May all that is good anywhere be with you. Sita will remain absolutely devoted to you for ever and she is the sourcehead of all the fortunes of the universe. She will follow you like the shadow of yours wherever you go."
  Saying thus he poured the holy water consecrated by the manthras of the sages from his hand to Rama's hand as a token of giving his own darling daughter  for ever to Sri Rama.  The gods and the sages who were witnessing this yajna of marriage, all blessed in unison.."well done, well done",  the Kettledrums of the heaven (dundhubhi) was being played and the gods were showering flowers in abundance on the divine couple.

The  the marriage of Sita and Rama is adopted by all Indians as the model for the marriage ceremony.. The words of Janaka, "Iyam sita.. " is quoted in every marriage till this day.
Many of the words in the above few stanzas have very deep meaning.. At the time of marriage we are reminded that Rama is the eternal source of happiness for his mother Kausalya.. Maybe a warning that the sons do not become the properties of the brides once they get married and the mother-in-law is always an important part of the marriage package.  Iyam Sita.. this sita..." this" signifies that she is not something ordinary... she is the incarnation of the goddess of welath..and she is born in an arable piece of land..signifying that all fortunes emanate from tilling the fertile land.  "Mama sutaa.. my daughter"... How proud is Janaka to claim that.. Janaka is famed to be a detached soul just ruling his kingdom like a philosopher..ever for him the affection for the female child obliterates  the detachment at that moment..this is also a reminder to Rama that Sita is the child of one of the greatest intellectuals of all time and should never be taken lightly..
The orignal words or Sage Valmiki describing the momentous occasion are beyond elucidation by silly mortals like me.


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