Editorial

How to be Truthful?

“The Atman is attained through truth… Truth alone wins, and not falsehood. By truth is laid the path called Devayana, by which the desireless seers ascend to where exists the supreme treasure attainable through truth,” — so declares the Mundaka Upanishad.

What is this truth and how to practice it? This has to be understood at two levels — the absolute and the relative.

In the relative plane, i.e., in our daily life, truth is the act of holding on to the factual. Primarily this means to speak as we think, and to act as we speak in all our dealings and under all circumstances. This unity between thought, word and deed is called trikarana shuddhi. Terming it simply as mon mukh ek kora, ‘unifying thought and speech’, Sri Ramakrishna says that such “truthfulness in speech is the tapasya of the Kaliyuga” and “if a man clings tenaciously to truth, he ultimately realizes God.” He also warns that “without this regard for truth, one gradually loses everything.”

Even as sincere sadhakas, we often painfully slip from truth. This is because we do not pay attention to other interconnected spiritual practices. Three such practices are — giving up cunningness, overcoming greed, and divinising the ego.

Sri Ramakrishna declares, “A hypocritical and calculating mind can never attain God.” Truly, without guilelessness we will not have firm faith in God, and without such faith we will not be able to be truthful at all times. Therefore, we have to strive for straightforwardness in all our relationships and dealings cutting out secretiveness and manipulative smartness. Desires multiply with lightning speed and fulfilling them will willy-nilly suck us into falsehood. Hence, we have to struggle and overcome greed for physical pleasures, wealth, fame, etc. Finally, pride in our looks, wealth, honour, intelligence, and power deepens our ignorance, distorts our perception of life, makes us forget God and thus fall from truthfulness. To avoid this, Sri Ramakrishna advices us to cultivate the ‘ego of a devotee.’ He gives us the mantra, Ami yantra, tumi yantri, ‘I am the machine, and You are the Operator’ and describes how it works through the story of the weaver who sees “the will of Rama” in everything that happens in his life.

Again, our self or individuality is normally limited to our body, mind, ego, and to people and things associated with us. This narrow identification is falsehood, because, in reality we are one with the whole universe. It is therefore that Swami Vivekananda tells us, “Expansion is life, contraction is death”, and Jesus Christ advises, “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” Hence, expanding our sense of self to embrace the world around us is the practice of truthfulness in the absolute sense.

To be established in this practice we should cultivate: a) unselfishness — to put first the needs of people around us; b) forgiveness — to accept the failings in others and not hold any grudges; c) love — to be unenvious and happy in the success of others; and d) spirit of service — to serve people around us in the spirit of Shiva Jnane Jiva Seva.

If we struggle to be truthful, Sri Ramakrishna will hold our hand and lead us to the supreme treasure.

Lokamata Janaki

SULINI V NAIR

Sita Navami falls exactly a month after Rama Navami. While Rama Navami is celebrated with great devotional fervour, celebrating Sita Navami is not very common. But we cannot think of Rama without Sita. This year Sita Navami falls on the 21st of May. Let us celebrate Sita Navami contemplating Mother Sita’s life.

Among all the various conceptualizations of God none is as beautiful, as heart-warming, as softness of heart, compassion, faithfulness, wisdom, valour and forbearance. Swami Vivekananda says, “…You may all-embracing as the concept of God as Mother. Sanatana Dharma celebrates this Divine Motherhood of God through a multitude of manifestations; beautiful, compassionate, fierce, destructive — spanning the entire spectrum of bhavas. Among the various incarnations of the Divine Mother, that of Mother Sita reaches out to us closest, simply because of her intense expression of the human condition and an uncompromising espousal of great ideals. She, for the most part, revealed herself as a woman of great nobility than as the Divine Mother. A parallel we know more intimately is Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi. Perhaps the more humanly they express themselves, the closer we feel towards them and the more confident we are of aspiring towards what they point to. In fact, if we consider the avatars as embodiments of divinity and beyond our reach, we do not gain much. Hence, their humanness is also their greatest compassion, even if at times it also makes them be greatly misunderstood.

Maharshi Valmiki’s Sita is, simply put, unreachable. In her commingles loveliness, exhaust the literature of the world that is past, and I may assure you that you will have to exhaust the literature of the world of the future, before finding another Sita. Sita is unique; that character was depicted once and for all… She who suffered that life of suffering without a murmur, she the ever-chaste and ever-pure wife, she the ideal of the people, the ideal of the gods, the great Sita, our national God she must always remain…”1 Born of the earth and found by Rajarshi Janaka, as he was turning the sod on the grounds where he had resolved to perform a yajna, he brought up Sita as his beloved daughter. That Sita was no ordinary child was revealed very early in her life when she effortlessly moved aside the box containing Lord Shiva’s bow — so heavy with divine power that even the mightiest men could not move it; she pushed it aside to pick up her ball that had rolled underneath! Only the Goddess’s divinity could match that of Shiva. Realising that Sita was extraordinary, Janaka resolved to give her in marriage only to one who proved worthy of her. And Rama turned out to be that lone worthy one.

Sulini V Nair is a Mohiniyattam performer, writer & researcher in the performing arts, idioms, and narratives. Cover Page artist: Jewel, Kottayam.

After their marriage Rama and Sita pass like a man! Rama is not in the least piqued by twelve years in great happiness. In a dramatic her words; on the contrary he admires that she turn of events, on the day he is scheduled to be is no ordinary woman, praises her courage and crowned the king of Ayodhya, Rama dons the decides to take her along. “Beloved Sita”, he ascetic’s garb because he decides to go into says, “you have arrived at a most welcome forest exile to honour his father’s promise to decision worthy in every way of my family as Kaikeyi. When he breaks this news to Sita, she well as of yours.”3 immediately resolves to follow him into the The love that bound Rama and Sita was of forest. In both Rama and Sita there is no hint of oneness of heart that needed no words to irritation, regret or anger due to this sudden articulate, nor eyes to convey. Though they change of fortunes. They seem to look forward played their human roles to perfection, Rama to a life of austerity. Their choices and conduct and Sita were divine personages with a divine in this situation are like scriptural edicts. The mission to fulfil. sthitaprajnatvam that Sri Krishna teaches in the succeeding yuga is exemplified by Rama and Adherence to Dharma Sita. By effortlessly relinquishing the throne of To understand the life and conduct of men Ayodhya, they both and women who lived in the enthrone themselves Treta Yuga, we should know eternally in the hearts of It would be erroneous to how concepts like dharma, devotees. assess the life, motives and sanctity of truth, the role of

But Rama is not happy actions of people in Treta a king, his relationship with to take Sita along. In eighteen verses he describes to her the horrors Yuga through the lens of our contemporary value system. his subjects etc., were perceived in that age. Without this knowledge, if she would have to face in we try to assess personathe forest. But Sita is not weak and helpless. lities in the Ramayana She is a proud Kshatriya lady who knows when through the lens of our contemporary value to assert herself and accomplish what she system, we will only misunderstand their believes to be the right thing. Unyielding in her motives and actions. determination to follow Rama, she remembers Dharma is the foundation of creation. her dharma as described by Janaka when he Therefore, the highest dharma of a man or a gave her in marriage to Rama. He had said, इयं woman is to discover Truth or God — the सीता मम सुता सहधम्पिरी तव... पवतव्रता महािागा source of dharma. Our every relationship and छिायेवानुगता सिा — “Here is Sita, my daughter, action has its own dharma. Furthermore, your companion on the path of dharma... relationships and actions that connect the Faithful to you, she will bring you all prosperity individual with the larger whole is considered and follow you like your shadow forever and as higher dharma. Thus, service to one’s ever.”2 She chides and taunts Rama: Could he motherland, society, family and one’s own not protect her from all the possible dangers of limited self, follow in the order of declining life in the forest! Her father had thought he had importance. An act in accordance to dharma at got the best man for his daughter but now the a lower level, becomes adharmic or son-in-law appeared to be a woman dressed unrighteous if it is inconsistent with a higher

dharma. Similarly, if an act or decision conforms to a higher dharma but is problematic at a lower level, it still remains dharmic. This is how our every decision or action becomes either dharmic or adharmic. Clarity in this working of dharma will help us to understand the motives and actions of Rama, Sita and others.

Valmiki declares that Rama is the embodiment of dharma. As we read the Ramayana, we realise that Sita too is firmly rooted in dharma. While on their way to Dandakaranya, Sita shares with Rama, in loving words, her apprehensions about his carrying weapons into the forest where they mean to lead a life of austerity. She worries if the weapons would lead Rama to adharmic action — cruelty without enmity, without righteous cause — a terrible evil. She warns that when a kshatriya trained to fight finds his weapons ready or when fire finds fuel nearby, it could be dangerous. It provokes one to a display of strength. She narrates also the story of an ascetic who was led astray from his austerities and into adharma simply by having in his custody a sword given for safekeeping. Sita says, “From Dharma follows wealth, from Dharma comes happiness, by recourse to Dharma one gets everything. This world has Dharma as its essence. The wise emaciate themselves with effort imposing several restrictions on themselves and achieve Dharma…”4 She gently advises Rama to practice such dharma in the forest, with a pious mind, as is suited for austerities. However, she also wonders aloud as to who could really be capable of teaching Dharma to Rama, the very embodiment of Truth and Dharma! She tells him that being a woman of tender heart, she is only reminding him what he already knows, and not teaching him.

Rama graciously accepts Sita’s advice, knowing that there is no sphere of life in which a wife is not entitled to give counsel. He values the concern and goodwill of the one “dearer to him than life”, his “companion in Dharma”, but gently tells her that the kshatriya wields the bow so that no one suffers. Moreover, he has promised to protect the rishis performing austerities in the forest, from the torment of the rakshasas. He then declares, “I can even give up my life or you together with Lakshmana, but not my plighted word given...”5 That such was Rama, is known to all, including the deceitful Maricha who cannot but describe him admiringly to Ravana: Sita is not weak or helpless but a proud Kshatriya lady who knows when to assert herself and accomplish what she believes to be the right thing. रामो ववग्रहवान् धम्परः साधुरः सतयपराक्रमरः। May 2021 राजा सव्पसय लोकसय िेवानावमव वासवरः।। 13

“Rama is virtue incarnate, pious and of unfailing prowess. He is the ruler of the entire humanity (even) as Indra is the ruler of gods.”6

The divine drama

The Ramayana unfolds three stories intimately intertwined. The story of Sita is the story of the Jivatma or the individual self. This story is connected with the story of Rama, which is the story of the Paramatma. Then there is the story of Ravana which signifies that the destruction of ignorance alone leads to the Jivatma’s oneness with the Paramatma.

After the killing of the demons Khara, Dushana and Trishiras, when Lakshmana goes out of the hermitage at Panchavati, Rama instructs Sita to enter the sacred fire. Maya Sita then emerges from the fire to fulfill the purpose of Rama’s avatara which is to end the tyranny of Ravana.7

Sita, who without batting an eyelid gave up all her royal possessions and pleasures, now

acts as though trapped in the desire for a deer! After Rama leaves in pursuit of the golden deer, Sita has to also send Lakshmana away to clear the stage for the central event of the Ramayana — her abduction. Lakshmana however refuses to leave her alone and unguarded. Sita then hurls at him the harshest of words and accuses him of the unthinkable — that he was refusing to go to Rama’s aid because he desired to have her. This conduct of Sita is to be seen in juxtaposition with how she immediately afterwards describes Lakshmana to the asceticRavana and later to Hanuman in Lanka. To the ascetic-Ravana, she describes Lakshmana as a brahmachari and dridhavrata, and to Hanuman she tells with deep respect and affection that Lakshmana looks upon Rama and herself as his parents.

At the far end of the spectrum from Sita and Rama stands Ravana. He is a Vedic scholar, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, radiant, brave, handsome, and a powerful king. The grandson of sage Pulastya, one of the nine mind-born sons of Brahma, and the son of sage Visravas and Kaikasi, Ravana teaches us the great lesson that one could be extremely intelligent and accomplished, with the noblest ancestry, and yet be sucked into adharma. Seeking wealth and gratification of desire, artha and kama, utterly violating the principle of dharma, all his knowledge undigested, Ravana remains a psychological prisoner of his own weaknesses.

Sita’s valour

Kidnapped and kept in Ashokavana, Sita speaks to Ravana placing a blade of grass between them. As a devout wife she refuses to directly speak to another man and uses the blade as a proxy for Ravana. She advises Ravana to tread the path of dharma. She warns that his intellect devoid of discrimination was leading him along an unrighteous path that would ultimately destroy his entire clan. Even while facing the danger of being killed, she severely castigates Ravana. Through all of this shines forth her supreme love for Rama, her immense pride in his valour, righteousness and character. The depth of Sita’s bhakti for Rama is revealed more in these moments of anguish and adversity. She spends every moment in the Ashokavana chanting Rama nama. She has no thought other than that of Rama and turns into a mere shadow of her radiant self — clad in soiled raiment, gaunt through abstinence from food, and face bathed in tears… ववपद्ावमव पवद्नीम् — like a muddy lotus pond devoid of lotuses…8

She lashes out at Ravana, असंििात् रामसय तपसश्रानुपालनात् । न तवां कुवम्प ििग्रीव िसम िसमाह्पतेजसा।।

“I do not reduce you to ashes by dint of my glory, which (alone) is enough to reduce you to ashes, only because I do not have the mandate of Sri Rama (to do so) and (also) because I seek to preserve the power of my asceticism, O ten-headed monster!” 9

Hanuman too wonders what greatness Ravana must have acquired that he was not burnt in the fire of Sita’s chastity despite touching her with wicked intention. Hanuman pained by her plight, offers to carry Sita on his back to Rama, but she disagrees. Given the extreme danger of the situation, any woman would have Sita, who without seized the batting an eyelid gave opportunity to up all her royal escape to safety, but possessions and not Sita. Her husband’s honour weighs more in her pleasures, now acts as though trapped in the estimation than her desire for a deer! own well-being. Having lost her to Ravana’s deceit, she does not consider it befitting Rama’s honour to receive her through

the back door! She prefers to suffer and wait for her husband to come and defeat Ravana and demonstrate to the world that his greatness may not be affronted with impunity.

Purer than purity

After the slaying of Ravana, Rama and Sita are ready to enact the next scene in their divine drama. Fully aware of Sita’s innocence and considering action in accordance with dharma, Rama is in distress like an ordinary man and meditates with tears in his eyes. Seeing Maya Sita, he expresses happiness, compassion and anger! The Rama that Sita and everyone else see is terrifying. He speaks extremely harsh words to her in the midst of the gathered warriors as though he doubts her purity — she was carried to Lanka forcibly seated on Ravana’s lap; she was seen by his wicked eyes; she had stayed at his palace. He says that he has rescued her only to protect the Raghu dynasty from the infamy that its queen was imprisoned by a rakshasa king. He then tells her, “I am having difficulty seeing you here, like a person with a disease in his eye is unable to see a light”10, implying clearly that the fault is with the one seeing, and not with what is seen. Sita then replies that while her body was not in her control when she was being abducted, her heart was with Rama alone. Rama remains unmoved even when Sita reminds him of their happy days and of her devotion to him. Sita then asks a stupefied Lakshmana to set up a pyre so she could give up her life.

Circumambulating Rama she enters the fire praying to Agni to protect her, “Protect me if my mind has not separated from Sri Rama anytime… I ask you to show the world and Sri Rama that I am a woman of honour and purity. Therefore, do not consume me; protect me… May you protect me such that the entire universe will come to know of my purity and honour!”11

And thus, Maya Sita who Ravana had abducted and kept in captivity enters the fire with detachment and serenity. In a reverse of what took place in secret at Panchavati, the real Sita walks out of the fire escorted by Agni. Agni returns her, in all her divine glory, unscathed, to Rama who expresses his perfect awareness of her purity. अननयहृियां सीतां मवचित्पदररवक्षणीम् । अहमपयवग्छिावम मैवथलीं जनकातमजाम्12

As the upholder of truth, he had been silent as she entered the fire to let truth manifest and display itself, to let Sita gain the credibility of the three worlds, to display to the world the purity of her life. प्रतययाथवं तु लोकानां त्याणां सतयसंश्रयरः। उपेक्षे िावप वैिेहीं प्रवविनतीं हुतािनम्13

It may appear that Rama has rescued her, but Rama says that Sita has been protected by her own moral power. इमामवप वविालाक्षीं रवक्षतां

सवेन तेजसा. And that Ravana could not violate her just as the sea cannot transgress its bounds.14

As much as Valmiki describes Rama in human terms, here and there he does reveal Rama’s divinity. The divine beings who gather to witness the glorious scene of Sita’s reunion with Rama address him as rtadhama, the abode of Truth, and offer obeisance to Sri Narayana in human form. Rama in response to the devas’ prayer says that he knows himself as a human being, as the son of Dasaratha, and asks Brahma to reveal his true identity15. Brahma through a number of beautiful verses describes Rama as the Supreme Brahman, Sri Vishnu and Sita as Sri Lakshmi, incarnated in human form as per their request to kill Ravana.16

Sita in the Kaliyuga

At this point it is interesting to briefly leap forward into Kaliyuga and see Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi on her visit to Rameshwaram.

Lord Shiva at the Rameshwaram temple is figure of exquisite grace with the sublime known as Rameshwar or Rama’s Ishwara, i.e., qualities of love, sorrow, compassion and one worshipped by fortitude on her face walked towards him. As he Rama. According to the stood wondering who she could be, suddenly a The superior man Rameshwaram Sthala monkey fell at her feet with a cry and rolled on does not take into Purana, after slaying the ground. Realising that it was Sita, he cried account the wrongs Ravana, Rama comes out ‘Mother’ and was about to fall at her feet of those who commit to Rameshwaram when she rushed forward and merged into him, offence against him. along with Sita and and he lost outer consciousness.19 Holy Mother Compassion should desires to worship once said that in his vision of Sita he had seen be shown to all because there is none who never Lord Shiva as an atonement for destroying Lanka. He sends Hanuman to her wearing diamond-cut gold bangles and got two such bangles made for her in the same design. Obviously, Sri Ramakrishna had recognized Holy Mother’s identity with Sita.20 commits a wrong. Kashi to bring a Sri Ramakrishna also declared, “He who was Shivalinga. But when Rama and he who was Krishna, is Ramakrishna May 2021 Hanuman’s return is delayed, he asks Sita to make a Shivalinga from sand and then worships it. When Hanuman returns with a Shivalinga, he tries to uproot the at present.”21 Sita’s Compassion After conveying to Sita the happy news of 16 sand image but it does not budge. Seeing this, Sita assures Hanuman that the Shivalinga Rama’s victory over Ravana, Hanuman wishes to kill the rakshasis who tortured Sita during The Vedanta Kesari brought by him would thenceforth be worshipped before the one she created. This tradition is continued to this day.17 When Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi saw the uncovered Shivalinga, she exclaimed, “I see it is just the same as when I placed it here.” She her captivity. However, Sita forbids him saying that they were only doing their duty as per Ravana’s orders. thenquickly controlled herself. But back in

Jayrambati it again slipped from her mouth when she told Swami Keshavananda, “The image exists there intact just as I placed it.”

Indeed, she many times spoke of her identity with Sita.18 Like Sita, Holy Mother too kept her divinity hidden for the most part. Ever gentle and modest and deeply devoted to her husband,

Holy Mother played to perfection her role as his spiritual companion. She faced many difficulties and sufferings. Yet her boundless compassion rejected none.

Sri Ramakrishna had a vision of Mother

Sita during his sadhana days at Panchavati. A न पररः पापमाित् परेषां पापकम्पणाम्। समयो रवक्षतवयसतु सनतश्रादरत्िपूषणारः।। पापानां वा ििानां वा वधाहा्पणामथावप वा। कायवं कारुणयमाययेण न कवश्रन्नापराधयवत।।

“A superior man does not take into account the sin of those who have committed an offence (against him). The vow of not returning evil for evil must be redeemed at all costs; (for) the virtuous account good conduct as their ornament. Compassion should be shown by a noble soul towards sinners as well as for the good, nay, even for those deserving death; (for) there is none who never commits a wrong”.22 Prior to this, Trijata, one of the rakshasis guarding Sita, recounts her dream where Rama kills Ravana, and implores the other rakshasis to fall at Sita’s feet and seek her pardon and her

protection from Rama’s wrath. Hearing this, Sita tells them that even before their seeking pardon, she has forgiven them. She adds, “If that comes out to be true (Rama’s victory), I shall undoubtedly be your protector.”23 Surely the compassion of the Divine Mother knows no bounds. While Rama protects anyone who surrenders to Him, Mother Sita out of her motherly love protects everyone, saint and sinner alike. Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi declared, “I am the mother of the wicked, as I am the mother of the virtuous.”

When Ravana dies, a light emerges from his chest and merges in Rama. Although through hate, Ravana had constantly thought of Rama, the Supreme Brahman, and thus was blessed to finally merge in Him.

Once again away from Rama

After the passage of happy times in Ayodhya, a pregnant Sita tells Rama that she desires to live at least one day with the Rishis in the serene ashram environs. Rama fulfils her desire the very next day. Only he sends her to the forest for ever. He abandons her to respect the sentiments of his subjects, however unfair their judgment, and to protect the dynasty from blemish. He looks beyond his personal interests to preserve the moral fabric of society. A kshatriya and king is first wedded to the land as bhupati and therefore his dharma towards his subjects is paramount; dharma towards family comes only later.24

Giving up Sita is like tearing out his heart. Yet Rama does it. In the Ramayana only Sita and Sumitra truly understand Rama, how he always stood for upholding dharma at any cost. In this situation too Sita stands equal to Rama. Though distraught that she is banished for no fault of hers she understands a king’s dharma. She communicates this through her words to the King Rama (rather than husband) conveyed through Lakshmana. She makes it clear that as Rama fulfils the highest dharma of a king, she too would fulfil the highest dharma as his wife and that she joins in While Rama his effort to prevent any protects anyone blemish on the dynasty.25 who surrenders to Even while living apart, Him, Mother Sita Rama and Sita walk the out of her motherly difficult path of dharma love protects with deepest love for each other. Rama does not take another wife, and Sita has everyone, saint and sinner alike. no thought other than of Rama.

Sita lives in Valmiki’s ashram for twelve long years and raises her twin children to be worthy of their lineage in valour, in compassion and in dharma. And when King Rama later painfully seeks from her another oath of purity, May 2021 Sita enters into the arms of her mother Earth 17 proving, not just to the assembled men in the royal court but to all of humanity for all time, her unsurpassable greatness. Suffering is inevitable in human life. Rama and Sita too accept and experience life’s difficulties. Through their lives they show us how we too may overcome our challenges The Vedanta Kesari holding on to dharma and how to sacrifice lower, personal interests for the good of the whole. Mother Sita lived and taught through a life of suffering and self-sacrifice. Swami Vivekananda therefore rightly declares, “There may have been several Ramas, perhaps, but never more than one Sita! …and here she stands these thousands of years, commanding the worship of every man, woman and child throughout the length and breadth of the land of Aryavarta. There she will always be, this glorious Sita, purer than purity itself…”26 The author is grateful to Dr. C.N.Ratnam for her generous help in clarifying certain concepts.

References

1) The Sages of India in The Complete Works of Swami

Vivekananda. 3: 255 2) Valmiki Ramayana, Gorakhpur: Gita Press – 1.73.2627 3) Ibid., 2.30.41 4) Ibid., 3.9.30-31 5) Ibid., 3.10.18-19 6) Ibid., 3.37.13 7) In the Adhyatma Ramayana (Yuddhakanda 13.2122) Agni returns the real Sita that Rama had entrusted him at Panchavati. He recalls how Rama had created Maya Sita for the purpose of killing

Ravana. The task accomplished, he requests Rama to take her back. Rama offers his salutations to

Agni and accepts an elated Sita.

The Ananda Ramayana (Sarakanda 12-11) mentions that Nature had manifested in three forms – tamasi, rajasi and satviki – for killing

Ravana. The rajasi and tamasi forms were represented in Maya Sita. After Ravana’s killing, these aspects were absorbed back in the fire and the satviki form emerged with Agni. (See Nama

Ramayana Mahima. p. 352-53) 8) Valmiki Ramayana. 5.15.20-23 9) Ibid., 5.22.20 10)Ibid., 6.115.17 11) Nama Ramayana Mahima. Swami Harshananda.

Vol 3, Transcription and Translation Dr.

Krishnamurthy Ramakrishna, Mayavati: Advaita

Ashrama, p. 312 12) Valmiki Ramayana. 6.118.15 13) Ibid., 6.118.17 14) Ibid., 6.118.16 15) Ibid., 6.117.11 16) Ibid., 6.117.12 –32 17) Holy Mother in the South. Swami Prabhananda.

Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math, p. 45 18) Sri Sarada Devi and Her Divine Play. [hereafter

Divine Play] Swami Chetanananda. St. Louis:

Vedanta Society of St. Louis. p. 355-56 19) Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play. Swami

Saradananda. St. Louis: Vedanta Society of St.

Louis, p. 228 20) Divine Play. p. 356 21) Holy Mother in the South. p. 46 22) Valmiki Ramayana, 6.113.44-45 23) Ibid., 5.27.54 24) During upanayana a kshatriya boy had it assigned to him as his foremost duty to protect at all cost the earth he would govern, taking her as his first wife. Another term for the king in Sanskrit is िपूजावनरः - िपूरः जाया यसय सरः िपूजावनरः “one who

has the earth for his wife.” Lakshmi, or prosperity, was considered his second wife. These were not merely abstract ideas but tangible obligations, his dharma, to which the king was bound for life. The lady he married had accordingly only the third position in his life. 25) Valmiki Ramayana, 7.48.10-17 26) The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. 3:.255

Sri Ramakrishna prayed to the Divine Mother, “O Mother, make me like Sita, completely forgetful of everything — body and limbs, totally unconscious of hands, feet, and sense-organs — only the one thought in her mind, ‘Where is Rama?’”

“He and His Power, Brahman and Its Power-nothing else exists but this. In a hymn to Rāma, Narada said: ‘O Rama, You are Shiva, and Sita is Bhagavati; You are Brahma, and Sita is Brahmani; You are Indra, and Sita is Indrani; You are Narayana, and Sita is Lakshmi. O Rama, You are the symbol of all that is masculine, and Sita of all that is feminine.’”

— Sri Ramakrishna