After greeting Rama, the best or archers, whose eyes were shaped just like the petals of a lotus flower, the highly intelligent Hanuman said: “You should now see that grief-stricken lady, for whose sake the endeavor which is now fructified was undertaken. Sita is overwhelmed with sadness and her eyes are full of tears. Having heard of your victory that Princess of Mithila longs to see you. Trusting me because of our former acquaintance, she said with bewildered eyes that she wanted to see her husband.”
When Rama, the foremost upholder of righteousness, heard these words spoken by Hanuman, He at once became pensive for a while and shed tears profusely. Exhaling a long hot breath while looking at the ground, He said to Vibhishana, who was standing nearby: “After Sita has bathed her head, anointed herself with divine cosmetics and adorned herself with sparkling ornaments, bring her here without further delay.” When commanded in this way, Vibhishana hurriedly entered the residential quarters and informed Sita of his arrival through the palace women. When Vibhishana saw the highly fortunate Sita, he bowed to her with his hands joined over his head and said: “O Princess of Videha, after anointing yourself with heavenly cosmetics and adorning yourself with sparkling ornaments, please mount this chariot. Bless you! Your husband wishes to see you.” To this, Sita replied: “O lord of the rakshasas, I wish to see my husband without bathing.” Hearing her reply, Vibhishana responded: “You should do exactly as You husband has requested You to do.”
Hearing his remark, the chaste Sita, who was devoted to her husband and worshiped Him like a god, said: “All right.” Then, after Sita’s head was bathed and she had been dressed with costly clothes and valuable ornaments by young women, Vibhishana had her sit in a shiny palanquin covered with exquisite cloth guarded by many rakshasas and brought her to Rama. When Vibhishana arrived, he realized that Rama was still absorbed in thought. Bowing low, he joyfully informed Rama that Sita had come. Hearing that Sita, who had dwelt for a long time in Ravana’s home, had arrived, Rama became angry, joyful and forlorn. Distressed by the thought that Sita had come in a chariot, Rama sadly said to Vibhishana: “O lord of the rakshasas, you are always engaged in securing victory for Me. Let Sita approach me as soon as possible.”
When Vibhishana heard Rama’s command, knowing what was right to do, he quickly dispersed the crowd that had gathered. Rakshasas wearing jackets and turbans and bearing rattling sticks in their hands moved all about, dispersing the warriors. While being driven away en masse, all the bears, monkeys and rakshasas stood off at a distant. Even as they were being driven away, a loud sound rose up, like the roar of the ocean lashed by a gale wind. Seeing the disturbed people being dispersed on all sides, Rama stopped it out of consideration for those being dispersed and in anger at those who were dispersing them. Seemingly burning the dispersers with His eyes, the highly intelligent Rama angrily said to Vibhishana the following reproachful words: “Why do you disregard me by annoying these people? Stop this annoyance! These people are my own. Neither buildings, nor clothes, nor protective walls, nor royal honors constitute a covering veil for a woman. The appearance of women in public is not a fault during calamities, difficulties, battles, Svayamvara ceremonies, sacrifices or marriages. Sita is in a predicament and beset with difficulty. There is nothing wrong with her being in public, especially in my presence.”
When instructed in this way by Rama, Vibhishana became thoughtful. Then he humbly brought Sita before Rama. Lakshmana, Sugreeva and Hanuman became greatly disturbed when they heard how Rama spoke to Vibhishana. By His stern gestures lacking regard for His wife, they concluded that Rama was displeased with Sita. Retracting all her bodily limbs out of shyness as she followed behind Vibhishana, Sita approached her husband. Sita, who considered her husband as good as God, gazed at the charming face of Her husband with astonishment, joy and affection. Gazing on Her husband’s face, which was lovely like a full moon and which she had not seen for a long time, her mind became free from fatigue and her face shone like a spotless moon.
Thus completes 114th Chapter of Yuddha Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate
