CHAPTER 47 EMPRESS SITA'S RETURN FROM EXILE

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.