Sri
Gauranga
Ashram

Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai !!


The popular legend goes that after killing Ravana and installing Vibhishan on the throne of Lanka, Lord Rama, Sita devi and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya and stayed together for many years and everyone was very happy in their kingdom. It was truly the golden era of Rama Raj.

Some mean minded people, however, criticized Rama for accepting Sita back after she had been in Ravana’s captivity for a year. This news spread and the story got back to Rama. He was most disturbed and realized that he had to do something. How could he rule a kingdom in which some of the people did not have faith in him? He called a meeting, asking all his brothers to come; but none of them could give him any advice.

He himself then realized what had to be done. He remembered that Sita had desired to visit all the sages in the forest and bring them some gifts. He asked Lakshman to take her to the ashram of those sages, deliver his sorrowful message to her, and then leave her in the forest. Lakshman was aghast that he was called upon to do this, but he could not say anything, as he was duty-bound to obey Rama. He therefore had to accept that responsibility.

Sumanta was the royal charioteer and a confidential minister. Lakshman told him everything about Rama's order and said, "My life is full of miseries. Now, today is the biggest misery of my life!"

Taking Sita with them, they passed Prayag and went across the Ganga. "Valmiki's ashrama is here," Lakshman told Sita. Then, with a heavy heart he told her, "Mother some people are accusing Rama of accepting an unchaste wife. Rama is Maryada Purushottam so how is it possible for him to rule the kingdom and guide the citizens properly?"

When Sita devi heard this she fainted and when she revived she said, "I do not want his glory to be diminished on my account. Please pay my obeisance to all.  Lakshman, I want to pray at your lotus feet for forgiveness for I have offended you twice. The first night in Ayodhya, after our marriage ceremony, I stopped you from massaging Rama's lotus feet. Though this had been your cherished duty for many years, I took this away from you. When you asked Rama about this, he could not answer. Then we asked the great sage Vashistha and he said, 'The duties now have to be divided. So Lakshman, all the duties outside of the house should be taken by you. Sita devi should now perform all the duties inside of the house.' In this way it was decided.

"Secondly, I was allured by a golden deer in the forest when we were in exile. I heard Marica call out, ‘Ha Lakshman!' Assuming it was Rama calling for help, I told you to immediately run to help Him. You said, 'No Mata, it is an illusion created by a demon.' In my grief and fear I accused you, 'I know, you are a spy of Bharata and you have lusty feelings for me. That is why you don't want to save your brother!' These words pierced your heart. You replied that you always saw me as your mother and had never even seen my face; you had only seen my feet. You could not bear those cruel words. Then, when you went to find Rama, he chastised you saying, 'Why did you pay heed of the words of a frightened woman?' Then Ravana came there and begged, 'biksham deh' three times. When I did not want to come outside of your circle of protection he threatened me, 'I curse you that your husband will die if you do not give anything to me here!' So please forgive me for these offenses."

After leaving Sita devi in the forest Lakshman lamented, "Oh, alas! I will surely give up my life!" Sumanta tried to pacify him, and told him the truth of the matter. "Once I was with Dasaratha Maharaja and at that time two sages, Vashistha Rishi and Durvasa Muni, came to visit him. Maharaja Dasaratha served them very nicely and then asked them to kindly tell him about the future of his four children.

Vashistha Rishi remained silent but Durvasa Muni responded by saying, ‘Oh, you have four sons. Very good." Dasaratha Maharaja said, "Yes, please tell me about Rama's future." Durvasa said,"Rama is an incarnation of Narayan Himself. Rama's future will unfortunately be full of miseries. He will have to leave Ayodhya and everyone will feel unbearable separation from Him. You will not be able to bear His absence and you will die in separation. This is also due to your own karma of killing the Brahmin boy Sravan and causing the death of his parents. Rama will later have to be separated from his wife as well and after suffering immensely they will again be reunited. Then again they will have to be apart; and Rama will rule the kingdom alone without his wife. Do not tell this to anyone." Dasaratha Maharaja was in complete shock, but he promised that he would not speak what he had heard to anyone.

Having heard this from Sumanta, Lakshman realized that his brother Rama is in fact the Supreme Lord Vishnu. Sumanta continued telling Lakshman the story that Durvasa Muni had told to Dasaratha Maharaja:"Once, a very big battle ensued between the demigods and the demons. The demons were defeated and went to the wife of Brighu Muni to take shelter and, being very merciful, she gave them shelter. The demigods went to Lord Vamanadeva and told him the situation. He then took His cakra and beheaded Brighu Rishi’s wife.

Brighu Maharaja was very angry and cursed Vamanadeva saying, "You are responsible for my wife's death. I loved her very much. Now I will have to suffer so much in separation from her. For this I curse you that you too will have to suffer in the same way in the future. You will have a very beautiful wife who will serve you in every way. You will be fully satisfied and completely enamored with her feminine grace and charm, and her virtuous qualities. You will then be separated from her, and you will always suffer immensely from that pain of separation."

Hearing this, Vamanadeva quietly accepted the curse. He knew that in the future the whole world would be benefited by this. Also this was but a pretext, as separation naturally increases the joy of reunion.

Sita devi was walking towards the ashram of Valmiki Rishi, when some of his brahmacharis spotted her. They informed Valmiki that a woman looking like a goddess was coming. Valmiki came out to greet her and immediately recognized who she was. He said, "Oh, you are Maharani Sita devi, the consort of Lord Rama. I know this because I have written the Ramayana. Please come in." The women of the ashram were very pleased to see Sita and said, "Oh, please allow us to serve you." Valmiki instructed them how to serve her in every way.

When Rama sent Shatrughna to Mathura, he happened to come near to Valmiki's ashram on the way. He paid obeisance to Sita devi and her sons, Luv and Kush, from a distance. Luv and Kush were very intelligent children. Valmiki was very expert in archery, singing and music, and he taught Luv and Kush these arts. They could thus sing in all ragas very sweetly. Valmiki also taught them the Ramayana.

In Ayodhya, no one in the entire kingdom was there to console Rama, whereas the ladies were there to console Sita devi in the ashram of Valmiki. One day Rama turned to Vashistha Rishi and said, "Will you please perform a sacrifice for the wellbeing of the kingdom and all the subjects?" Vashistha replied, "Such an undertaking requires the presence of the queen as well. You must call your wife back." "Oh, I cannot do that." "Then you must remarry," Vashistha insisted. Rama said, "It is not possible." "There is a solution; you will have to make a golden statue of Sita devi." Vashistha then performed the sacrifice. In fact, every year he performed a very big sacrificial ceremony for Rama near Naimisaranya on the banks of Gomti, with a new golden deity of Sita devi each year.

One year many kings and sages were called, and Valmiki too went with Luv and Kush. The boys were extremely beautiful, with very broad chests and slender waists. During a rest period, Valmiki asked them to sing the Ramayana. They had melodious voices and they sang in such a heart-rending way that they captured everyone's hearts. Rama was especially moved and tears came to His eyes. Valmiki had previously warned the boys, “If anyone asks you who you are, tell them, 'I am a disciple of Valmiki'”.

Rama ordered Lakshman, "Go and give them eighteen thousand gold coins and many, many beautiful clothes and gifts. Then ask them who they are."

When they were presented with these gold coins, clothes, and gifts, they said, "What will we do with all these things? We are brahmacharis." Then Lakshman asked which dynasty they belonged to, and they replied, "You seem very learned. Why ask this? Why not ask who is our Gurudeva? We are disciples of Valmiki Rishi."

For five or seven days they came to Ayodhya and recited the Ramayana and after many days Rama and others came to know who they were.

Rama then called Valmiki and requested that Sita devi return to Ayodhya but after one final test of purity so that all the people could see for themselves. Valmiki said, "I have never spoken a lie in my life. I can assure you that Sita is completely pure and chaste." Rama said, "I know that. I'm completely confident of this, but I want my subjects to see with their own eyes. So please bring her here. Then we'll see what we can do."

At this time Brahma, Lord Shankara and many demigods and goddesses came, curious to witness the event. Sita devi sent Luv and Kush ahead to their father. She arrived thereafter and Valmiki spoke gently to her, "O daughter Sita come forward and prove your purity."

Sita devi closed her eyes and meditated on Mother Earth praying, "Mother, please prove this to one and all, that I have never served any other man. I have never even thought of any man other than Rama in my whole life. Please accept me, mother."

The earth trembled and Pritivi-devi appeared from the earth and Sita went to her and sat on her lap on a golden throne. In a moment even while everyone watched Prthivi-devi completely covered Her. In other words, she took Sita devi with her, back into the Earth.

Rama couldn't bear to see Sita disappear like this and he fainted. Then, when he regained consciousness, he prayed to Prthivi-devi, requesting her to bring back Sita. He told her, "One time I went with a bow to the ocean and he was very much afraid. So I can turn you into dust in a moment."

Just then Brahma came and told Rama, "No my Lord, don't do that! This is the last time. Sitaji has gone back to your own abode, so you should very quickly wind up your pastimes and return there."

Soon thereafter Luv and Kush were entrusted with the kingdom of Ayodhya and Sri Rama ended his mortal body in the waters of the Sarayu.

The divine transcendental realm Saketpuri is where Sri Rama and Sita devi eternally perform their leela along with their devotees. This is the final destination of all Rama bhaktas.

Jai Sita Ram !!
Jai Jai Radhey Shyam !!
Jai Guru!!