When
Ayodhya's army departed, Valmiki, Sita, Lava, Kush and the rishis who came to
see, walked towards the ashram. The twins were greatly puzzled and they asked
their Mother,
"If Sri Ram is our
Father, why do we live in the jungle?"
"My children,"
Maharishi Valmiki knew that this question would hurt the heart of Sita, so he
himself replied.
"Please
don't disturb your Mother. Come, I will tell you all about that."
So the twins followed
the rishi to his cottage. There he taught them his beautiful epic Ramayanam. He
also taught them how to sing it. Very soon they learned it and began to sing it
melodiously. A few other disciples also joined them. Thus they loved to sing this
epic so much that they kept singing and whispering it for days.
Maharishi Valmiki asked
them to go to Ayodhya and sing songs from the Ramayanam about Sri Ram's exile,
in the streets, in the public squares, and in all the social places. They did
this and everywhere huge gatherings of people heard it with rapt attention and
tears dripping from their eyes.
The
whole city began to talk about it and wondered who the twins were who had
composed such charming songs of incidents they had seen many years ago.
"Who has depicted it so picturesquely?" Everybody wondered.
"One who can
describe the epic so accurately, so minutely, so clearly and truthfully,
definitely knows the last part of it which also happened in the forests and in
Lanka.” So they requested the twins sing the last part of the Ramayanam.
A
huge canopy was stretched in the middle of the city and millions of people
assembled there. Guests from different countries and planets sat in deep
silence. Lava and Kush sang and sang and the whole audience stood blissed,
thrilled and excited. After hearing of the bravery of Ram and the supremacy,
chastity and deep love of their Empress and Emperor, they all began to repent,
because it was only because of them that the Empress Sita was exiled.
A great revolution began.
The leaders of the public requested the Royal Assembly to kindly listen to the
Ramayanam. The Emperor Himself set a particular day. He already knew through
His spies what was happening in the city so He sent a message to Maharishi
Valmiki to visit the Royal Assembly with Sita.
In the morning, as soon
as the Emperor entered the Royal assembly it was flooded with millions of
people from all over the world. It was open to all. The large audience sat in
deep quietness, and Lava and Kush accepted their seats next to the Emperor and
their melodious sound echoed as they sang and sang and sang.
The members of the
assembly, guests from other planets, and citizens, heard the unknown part of
the Ramayanam -About how Sita, Ram, and Lakshmana, had lived in the jungle; how
the life of Sita was in the garden of Lanka; what a great sacrifice she did to
maintain her love and chastity to Ram; how they came to Ayodhya after Sita's
ordeal; and after a short time of joy how she was exiled. And they wept and
wept and cried to the Emperor that they wanted to see their Empress.
The
similarity of Lava and Kush in complexion, face and physical structure to the
Emperor was astounding. The assembled audience became enlivened and when the
singing was completed and they lifted their eyes, they saw the great sage
Maharishi Prachetas the Valmiki entering the hall and Empress Sita as a goddess
of beauty, as an effulgence of light, clad in saffron-colored clothes, walking
behind him.
The
Emperor and the whole assembly stood up from their seats and welcomed them with
the warmth of their greatest adoration.
Maharishi Valmiki
climbed up on the stage and the Emperor bowed down to him in full reverence.
All the rishis greeted him. The Emperor offered them seats but Maharishi
Valmiki stood on the stage facing the large audience, raised his right hand and
proclaimed :
"Oh citizens of
Ayodhya, oh ministers, representatives of all countries and different planets
--I the Prachetas who meditated sitting in one posture unmoved, for such a long
period of time that worms made their abodes under my skin, and my name became
Valmiki, I swear, by all my spiritual powers and strictly disciplined life,
that Empress Sita in her thought, speech, and action, is absolutely spotless
and bright in character. She is as serene as the shine of the moon. She is so
pure as the Holy water of the Ganges, as She is innocent as the smile of a
lily."
"Hail
Maharishi Prachetas the Valmiki," the audience shouted with great
enthusiasm and joy, and then Sita stood up and innumerable eyes were lifted
unto her.
She
walked on the stage and said, "As sweetness belongs to love, as peace
belongs to inner bliss, as freedom belongs to the knowledge of the Self, so
also I belong to Sri Ram. My mind has never moved away from Him for a single
moment, even in a dream or deep sleep. This is the truth. If Nature accepts
this as true, then let Mother Earth take me in her lap."
At once the front of the
stage broke into two parts and before millions of eyes a shining throne sprang
up and a beautiful damsel with large eyes and a shining crown on her head
walked out on the stage and spoke in an astounding voice which echoed all
around
"The Emperor of
Ayodhya, the rishis, the ministers and citizens, all of you listen to my words.
As impurities cannot exist in fire, as darkness cannot exist in the light, as
restlessness cannot exist in samadhi (satori), so also impurity of life cannot
touch my daughter, Sita. For proof of this, as she has desired, I am taking her
on my lap."
Mother Earth took Sita
on her lap -taking her by the hand, she sat on the throne with Sita and in the
midst of showering flowers and the blessings of the rishis and the
wonder-filled eyes of all the citizens, they disappeared within the earth, and
the two parts of the earth joined together.
Then there arose a great
noise of lamentation. All the citizens became aware that they have lost their
Empress forever and they will now never find her, never see her, and their
weeping, crying, and sighing, took them beyond subject and object and they
slipped into eternity. Their vision became transcendental and they were able to
see who Sri Sita Ram really were.
Even the Emperor Sri
Ram's face became very sad and tears dropped from His eyes. His brothers, his
sons Lava and Kush, and Hanumanji, all fell down unconscious. All the rishis
wanting to escape this tragedy closed their eyes and entered into the mystic
trance known as samadhi.
Very
soon Sri Ram prepared to depart from the earth to meet His Beloved Sita and He
divided the empire among Lava and Kush, and the other six sons of Lakshmana,
Bharata, and Shatrughna.
Then Sri Hanumanji saw
His last sight of that glorious Emperor as He departed from the earth.
Smilingly He told
Hanumanji, full of love, "Stay on the planet Earth as the guardian of all
those who chant My Holy Name. Wherever You choose to remain, all the world will
follow You. Your philosophy, Your music cult will be widely accepted in course
of time." And He embraced His most Beloved Servant and that embrace has
never ended.
Such
is the glory of Sri Hanumanji that by only hearing and thinking about Him, the
heart and mind become sanctified, serene and blissful.
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