Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sita's tiff with Rama

Rama then went to His own apartment
To see the queen of His Heart’s compartment
Pondering on things He had to do
Before starting towards the nature’s zoo

He talked within Himself about His future
That a desire for kingdom He must not nurture
“On my return if I dispute for the royal kingship
That would spoil between brothers, the beautiful kinship”

“Bharatha by then would have ruled for fourteen years
Gaining people’s good will and dispelling their fears
It would be like uprooting a fruit yielding tree
To sow a seed out of mere mental spree”

“Bharatha, on my return, will embrace me
And make me his advisor for ever to be
Incase, like Kaikeyi, if Bharatha changes
I would go serve father in the Himalayan ranges”

He thought so because it was a regular trend
For Kings to become ascetics at the end
Entrusting their kingdom to a worthy one
And to live on mountains renouncing comfort and fun

Thinking about His future life
He walked towards His beloved wife
There, Sita greeted Him with the broadest smile
Asking Him where He had been all this while

Sita did notice that Rama was not very casual
His smile and look were not like usual
She couldn’t get the intimate look He normally gave
And that child-like smile creating a joyful wave

Rama silently took her hand and made her sit
Then told her the story His fate had knit
Sita understood the cause of Rama’s thinking
And made her decisions before a blinking

“So Dear Lord, when are we starting?
Forest life would be delightfully startling!”
“Sorry my girl, it’s not going to be, ‘we’
Life in the forest is only for me”

Now gentle Sita was deeply disappointed
From Rama her life, she felt, she was disjointed
She always thought herself to be body and Rama its soul
Now, in the belief she had, Rama had driven a hole

What hurt her most and tortured her rough
Was that Rama had not understood enough
About the kind of love she had for Him
And that He had thought of her love as just a whim

She felt the very meaning of her life to be crushed
From the eyes that adored Rama, angry tears gushed
For the first time in her life she decided to fight
To demand from her Husband and get her right

“When did you and I become two?
Why do you take a pledge, you can’t live up to?
How did you decide that I am the lowly kind?
Who’ll let her husband to the forest and stay behind”

“In the comforts of the palace, enjoying life
Not taking part in her husband’s strife
I’ve always thought of me as your inevitable part
But look at the place you’ve given me in your heart!”

“Is that all? Or is there more?
Words of mistaking you have, to pour!”
Rama asked her with a witty smile
That never bore a trace of guile

“What is the pledge you are talking about?
On my earnest intentions you create doubt”
On seeing His smile, her turmoil vanished
But the sulking she did was not yet finished

“Did we not pledge during our marriage day
That like the sun and its light we would stay
Always with each other in pleasure and pain
Sacrificing for each other, individual gain”

“I haven’t said anything that contradicts our oath
What I propose is good for both
I thought if you stay back, you’ll take care of mother
While I spend my life in the forest, honoring my father”

“By which both of us are sharing my duty
And also at heart the longing and pity
I never said that you’ll be happy without me
I only requested you to bear the separation for me”

Sita was determined not to give up her thought
Reasons favoring her request, in a minute, she brought
“Mother will have my three sisters here
And also your three brothers, why do you fear?”

“In the jungle you’ll be all alone without joy
Wandering here and there like an orphan boy
How could I leave you thus and be content
Fighting on a daily basis, fear and ferment”

“Dear, taking you along would not be a wise man’s act
To live in the jungle one needs skill and tact
The forest is full of wild and dangerous creatures
And a climate that would spoil your beautiful features”

“Dear Lord, have I spoilt your happiness any day
Or did I by mistake hurt you in any way
Why do you come up with reason after reason?
Why don’t you just be frank and stop this treason?”

“I think you don’t like to see my face
Please do tell me, if that is the case
I’ll disappear from your life without a trace
But please, don’t put me through this separation phase”

“When you lift your bow and tighten its string
What harm can wild creatures and demons bring?
While you are not here to look at my face
What good is for me my beauty and grace?”

Rama did not know how to explain
All He wanted was her to remain
In the comforts of the palace from physical strain
And just wait for Him, which would not go vain

He did not want His angel, to walk the difficult road,
Who was the best of the gifts, His life had bestowed
He always kept in mind that she was a king’s daughter
And therefore the comfort she deserves must not falter

So, He decided to take a stance very strict
Hoping in His heart that He could restrict
Sita from insisting on joining Him
And spoke with an expression serious and grim

“Girl, I am happy about your love for me
But some obedience in you, I like to see
Please let me go without a talk
And bid me a smiling farewell, as I walk”

Sita now started to cry so bitter
For a moment she lost words to utter
She then became furious like a tigress
With much more vigour she started to regress

“You are a coward I would say without much deliberation
To protect your wife you show so much hesitation
My father only wanted a strong young man
Failing to realise, strong men can’t what a brave man can!”

“Even frail ascetics live with their wives in the woods
Protecting their beloveds under their hoods
But You! Strong one! Belonging to a Kshathriya clan
Like the meek and weak you propose your plan”

Rama was not provoked by her remark which was tart
He knew those words came from a loving heart
Anyway He stood His grounds, firm
And insisted she bear the separation term

“You call me a coward I don’t care
For your well being is what I always care
You stay, while I cross the country’s border
To my dutiful wife, that’s my order!”

Seeing Rama could not be moved even by contempt
Sita who was desperate made her final attempt
“This order from you is completely unfair
Why do you cause me difficulty and despair?”

“This cruel order of yours, I am unable to abide
I am also unable to be at your side
Failing in either way, I wish not to live
Hence, my life to death, I’ve decided to give”

“Before crossing the border of this nation
Please do perform my ritual cremation
I will jump off the window and smash my head
So that before you start I will be dead”

Saying thus Sita rushed towards the window
Whatever she wanted, Rama decided to endow
He pulled her to Himself with a smile, amused
From Sita’s desperate heart despair diffused

Rama wiped off her tears that flowed with joy
And appreciated her for her ploy
“You’ve defeated me with your determination
I am happy to see your relentless dedication”

Sita thanked Rama for His consent a million times
And apologized for the fuss a zillion times
She cried, cried and cried endlessly
And fell at Rama’s feet selflessly

“Drunk by your love, I knew not what I did
Your decision though right, I had to forbid
For I wish not to live away from your side
Hence obedience to you, I was unable to abide”

“Me defeating you is nothing but an exaggeration
Even if I did, I did it with your limitless compassion
Forgive me, for this unavoidable tiff
For being adamant, stubborn and remaining stiff”

“There is nothing to forgive, for you were not wrong
I am blessed to get a wife who loves me strong
Give away everything, all that you have got
To our maids and servants, before we start”

Sita gave away all her jewels in gleeful delight
With joy in her eyes that were glowing bright
She also gave her fine costumes away
For attachments to things, she had kept at bay

After giving away all that they possess
Sita and Rama changed to simple dresses
Lakshman by then had made his decision
And fell at Rama’s feet, seeking permission

He caught hold of Lord Rama’s feet
And spoke his wish, very concrete
“I do not know to talk like my sister-in-law
Trying to convince you with words, I may flaw

I have decided to cling on to your merciful leg
Until you sanction me, the gift I beg
Please do allow me to come with you
And give me the privilege of serving you”

Rama accepted the request without a word
Lakshman got ready fetching his arrows and sword
Thus Sita and Lakshman persuaded in joining Ram
Jai Shri Ram! Jai Jai Shri Ram!!

9 comments:

  1. that is beautiful Ramesh, can very well picturise the scene.............

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  2. Beautiful pic and beautiful words. :)

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  3. Beautiful!
    You have a way with words.
    The dialogue was nicely constructed, with all those literary elements people talk about, but more importantly, your amazing devotion to Him.
    i used to say this when i write- He is not just the subject, but also the source of all that one can write.

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  4. Yeah, very true... He is the source of all that one can write. Thanks for the encouragement and support. Jai Shri Ram! :)

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  5. The way you have written the dialogue is poetic and very beautiful. I could visualize and relate it with the Rama and Sita faces in my heart.
    Thanks
    Jai SeetaRaam

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  6. The way you have written the dialogue is poetic and very beautiful. I could visualize and relate it to Seeta and Rama in my heart.
    Thanks.
    Jai SeetaRaama

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  7. Dear Vidhya,

    Thanks for your comment! I am happy you liked it.

    Jai Shri Ram!!

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