Sitas Banishment

[Paramananda das]

question raised 11 years ago :

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! First I will just raise the issue before we can discuss further.

A very big question in the Ramayana is why Lord Rama would banish Sita Devi to the forest just like that? People do not understand these matters in the Uttara Khanda because they treat it like some mundane love story and cannot fathom some deeper truths in the Lord’s actions.

For this reason, editions of Ramayana other than Valmiki Ramayana do not even talk about the Uttara Khanda and it is simply omitted. Plenty of ridiculous imaginary theories abound over this topic.

What is the meaning behind these mysterious pastimes? I would love some guidance before writing anything myself.

Daaso’smi,

Srinath

dear Srinath Prabhu

Please accept my humble obaisences

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

This part is discussed in Srimad Bhagavatam 9 canto :

SB 9.11.8: Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Once while Lord Rāmacandra was walking at night incognito, hiding Himself by a disguise to find out the people's opinion of Himself, He heard a man speaking unfavorably about His wife, Sītādevī.

SB 9.11.9: [Speaking to his unchaste wife, the man said] You go to another man's house, and therefore you are unchaste and polluted. I shall not maintain you any more. A henpecked husband like Lord Rāma may accept a wife like Sītā, who went to another man's house, but I am not henpecked like Him, and therefore I shall not accept you again.

SB 9.11.10: Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Men with a poor fund of knowledge and a heinous character speak nonsensically. Fearing such rascals, Lord Rāmacandra abandoned His wife, Sītādevī, although she was pregnant. Thus Sītādevī went to the āśrama of Vālmīki Muni.

SB 9.11.11: When the time came, the pregnant mother Sītādevī gave birth to twin sons, later celebrated as Lava and Kuśa. The ritualistic ceremonies for their birth were performed by Vālmīki Muni.

Well in this world many men are so attached to their wives even when they are unfaithful, of course Sita already went through fire, and the real Sita was brought to Lord Rama :

CC Madhya 9.178: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at southern Mathurā from Kāmakoṣṭhī, He met a brāhmaṇa.

CC Madhya 9.179: The brāhmaṇa who met Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu invited the Lord to his home. This brāhmaṇa was a great devotee and an authority on Lord Śrī Rāmacandra. He was always detached from material activities.

CC Madhya 9.180: After bathing in the river Kṛtamālā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to the brāhmaṇa's house to take lunch, but He saw that the food was unprepared because the brāhmaṇa had not cooked it.

CC Madhya 9.181: Seeing this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, "My dear sir, please tell Me why you have not cooked. It is already noon."

CC Madhya 9.182: The brāhmaṇa replied, "My dear Lord, we are living in the forest. For the time being we cannot get all the ingredients for cooking.

CC Madhya 9.183: "When Lakṣmaṇa brings all the vegetables, fruits and roots from the forest, Sītā will do the necessary cooking."

CC Madhya 9.184: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was very satisfied to hear about the brāhmaṇa's method of worship. Finally the brāhmaṇa hastily made arrangements for cooking.

CC Madhya 9.185: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His lunch at about three o'clock, but the brāhmaṇa, being very sorrowful, fasted.

CC Madhya 9.186: While the brāhmaṇa was fasting, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu asked him, "Why are you fasting? Why are you so unhappy? Why are you so worried?"

CC Madhya 9.187: The brāhmaṇa replied, "I have no reason to live. I shall give up my life by entering either fire or water.

CC Madhya 9.188: "My dear Sir, mother Sītā is the mother of the universe and the supreme goddess of fortune. She has been touched by the demon Rāvaṇa, and I am troubled upon hearing this news.

CC Madhya 9.189: "Sir, due to my unhappiness I cannot continue living. Although my body is burning, my life is not leaving."

CC Madhya 9.190: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu replied, "Please do not think this way any longer. You are a learned paṇḍita. Why don't you consider the case?"

CC Madhya 9.191: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "Sītādevī, the dearmost wife of the Supreme Lord Rāmacandra, certainly has a spiritual form full of bliss. No one can see her with material eyes, for no materialist has such power.

CC Madhya 9.192: "To say nothing of touching mother Sītā, a person with material senses cannot even see her. When Rāvaṇa kidnapped her, he kidnapped only her material, illusory form.

CC Madhya 9.193: "As soon as Rāvaṇa arrived before Sītā, she disappeared. Then just to cheat Rāvaṇa she sent an illusory, material form.

CC Madhya 9.194: "Spiritual substance is never within the jurisdiction of the material conception. This is always the verdict of the Vedas and Purāṇas."

CC Madhya 9.195: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then assured the brāhmaṇa, "Have faith in My words and do not burden your mind any longer with this misconception."

CC Madhya 9.196: Although the brāhmaṇa was fasting, he had faith in the words of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and accepted food. In this way his life was saved.

CC Madhya 9.197: After thus assuring the brāhmaṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu proceeded further into southern India and finally arrived at Durvaśana, where He bathed in the river Kṛtamālā.

CC Madhya 9.198: At Durvaśana Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the temple of Lord Rāmacandra, and on the hill known as Mahendra-śaila He saw Lord Paraśurāma.

CC Madhya 9.199: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then went to Setubandha [Rāmeśvara], where He took His bath at the place called Dhanus-tīrtha. From there He visited the Rāmeśvara temple and then took rest.

CC Madhya 9.200: There, among the brāhmaṇas, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu listened to the Kūrma Purāṇa, wherein is mentioned the chaste woman's narration.

CC Madhya 9.201: Śrīmatī Sītādevī is the mother of the three worlds and the wife of Lord Rāmacandra. Among chaste women she is supreme, and she is the daughter of King Janaka.

CC Madhya 9.202: When Rāvaṇa came to kidnap mother Sītā and she saw him, she took shelter of the fire-god, Agni. The fire-god covered the body of mother Sītā, and in this way she was protected from the hands of Rāvaṇa.

CC Madhya 9.203: Upon hearing from the Kūrma Purāṇa how Rāvaṇa had kidnapped a false form of mother Sītā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became very satisfied.

CC Madhya 9.204: The fire-god, Agni, took away the real Sītā and brought her to the place of Pārvatī, goddess Durgā. An illusory form of mother Sītā was then delivered to Rāvaṇa, and in this way Rāvaṇa was cheated.

CC Madhya 9.205: After Rāvaṇa was killed by Lord Rāmacandra, Sītādevī was brought before the fire and tested.

CC Madhya 9.206: When the illusory Sītā was brought before the fire by Lord Rāmacandra, the fire-god made the illusory form disappear and delivered the real Sītā to Lord Rāmacandra.

CC Madhya 9.207: When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard this story, He was very pleased, and He remembered the words of Rāmadāsa Vipra.

CC Madhya 9.208: Indeed, when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard these conclusive statements from the Kūrma Purāṇa, He felt great happiness. After asking the brāhmaṇas' permission, He took possession of the manuscript leaves of the Kūrma Purāṇa.

CC Madhya 9.209: Since the Kūrma Purāṇa was very old, the manuscript was also very old. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took possession of the original leaves in order to have direct evidence. The text was copied onto new leaves in order that the Purāṇa be replaced.

CC Madhya 9.210: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to southern Mathurā [Madurai] and delivered the original manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa to Rāmadāsa Vipra.

CC Madhya 9.211-212: "When he was petitioned by mother Sītā, the fire-god, Agni, brought forth an illusory form of Sītā, and Rāvaṇa, who had ten heads, kidnapped the false Sītā. The original Sītā then went to the abode of the fire-god. When Lord Rāmacandra tested the body of Sītā, it was the false, illusory Sītā that entered the fire. At that time the fire-god brought the original Sītā from his abode and delivered her to Lord Rāmacandra."

CC Madhya 9.213: Rāmadāsa Vipra was very pleased to receive the original leaf manuscript of the Kūrma Purāṇa, and he immediately fell down before the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and began to cry.

CC Madhya 9.214: After receiving the manuscript, the brāhmaṇa, being very pleased, said, "Sir, You are Lord Rāmacandra Himself and have come in the dress of a sannyāsī to give me audience.

CC Madhya 9.215: "My dear Sir, You have delivered me from a very unhappy condition. I request that You take Your lunch at my place. Please accept this invitation.

CC Madhya 9.216: "Due to my mental distress I could not give You a very nice lunch the other day. Now, by good fortune, You have come again to my home."

CC Madhya 9.217: Saying this, the brāhmaṇa very happily cooked food, and a first-class dinner was offered to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

CC Madhya 9.218: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu passed that night in the house of the brāhmaṇa. Then, after showing him mercy, the Lord started toward the Tāmraparṇī River in Pāṇḍya-deśa.

see also

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 9.10.11

rakṣo-'dhamena vṛkavad vipine 'samakṣaḿ

vaideha-rāja-duhitary apayāpitāyām

bhrātrā vane kṛpaṇavat priyayā viyuktaḥ

strī-sańgināḿ gatim iti prathayaḿś cacāra

SYNONYMS

rakṣaḥ-adhamena — by the most wicked among Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa; vṛka-vat — like a tiger; vipine — in the forest; asamakṣam — unprotected; vaideha-rāja-duhitari — by this condition of mother Sītā, the daughter of the King of Videha; apayāpitāyām — having been kidnapped; bhrātrā — with His brother; vane — in the forest; kṛpaṇa-vat — as if a very distressed person; priyayā — by his dear wife; viyuktaḥ — separated; strī-sańginām — of persons attracted to or connected with women; gatim — destination; iti — thus; prathayan — giving an example; cacāra — wandered.

TRANSLATION

When Rāmacandra entered the forest and Lakṣmaṇa was also absent, the worst of the Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa, kidnapped Sītādevī, the daughter of the King of Videha, just as a tiger seizes unprotected sheep when the shepherd is absent. Then Lord Rāmacandra wandered in the forest with His brother Lakṣmaṇa as if very much distressed due to separation from His wife. Thus He showed by His personal example the condition of a person attached to women.

PURPORT

In this verse the words strī-sańgināḿ gatim iti indicate that the condition of a person attached to women was shown by the Lord Himself. According to moral instructions, gṛhe nārīḿ vivarjayet: when one goes on a tour, one should not bring his wife. Formerly men used to travel without conveyances, but still, as far as possible, when one leaves home one should not take his wife with him, especially if one is in such a condition as Lord Rāmacandra when banished by the order of His father. Whether in the forest or at home, if one is attached to women this attachment is always troublesome, as shown by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His personal example.

Of course, this is the material side of strī-sańgī, but the situation of Lord Rāmacandra is spiritual, for He does not belong to the material world. Nārāyaṇaḥ paro 'vyaktāt: Nārāyaṇa is beyond the material creation. Because He is the creator of the material world, He is not subject to the conditions of the material world. The separation of Lord Rāmacandra from Sītā is spiritually understood as vipralambha, which is an activity of the hlādinī potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead belonging to the śṛńgāra-rasa, the mellow of conjugal love in the spiritual world. In the spiritual world the Supreme Personality of Godhead has all the dealings of love, displaying the symptoms called sāttvika, sañcārī, vilāpa, mūrcchā and unmāda. Thus when Lord Rāmacandra was separated from Sītā, all these spiritual symptoms were manifested. The Lord is neither impersonal nor impotent. Rather, He is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], the eternal form of knowledge and bliss. Thus He has all the symptoms of spiritual bliss. Feeling separation from one's beloved is also an item of spiritual bliss. As explained by Śrīla Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, rādhā-kṛṣṇa-praṇaya-vikṛtir hlādinī-śaktiḥ: the dealings of love between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa are displayed as the pleasure potency of the Lord. The Lord is the original source of all pleasure, the reservoir of all pleasure. Lord Rāmacandra, therefore, manifested the truth both spiritually and materially. Materially those who are attached to women suffer, but spiritually when there are feelings of separation between the Lord and His pleasure potency the spiritual bliss of the Lord increases. This is further explained in Bhagavad-gītā (9.11):

avajānanti māḿ mūḍhā

mānuṣīḿ tanum āśritam

paraḿ bhāvam ajānanto

mama bhūta-maheśvaram

One who does not know the spiritual potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead thinks of the Lord as an ordinary human being. But the Lord's mind, intelligence and senses can never be affected by material conditions. This fact is further explained in the Skanda Purāṇa, as quoted by Madhvācārya:

nitya-pūrṇa-sukha-jñāna-

svarūpo 'sau yato vibhuḥ

ato 'sya rāma ity ākhyā

tasya duḥkhaḿ kuto 'ṇv api

tathāpi loka-śikṣārtham

aduḥkho duḥkha-vartivat

antarhitāḿ loka-dṛṣṭyā

sītām āsīt smarann iva

jñāpanārthaḿ punar nitya-

sambandhaḥ svātmanaḥ śriyāḥ

ayodhyāyā vinirgacchan

sarva-lokasya ceśvaraḥ

pratyakṣaḿ tu śriyā sārdhaḿ

jagāmānādir avyayaḥ

nakṣatra-māsa-gaṇitaḿ

trayodaśa-sahasrakam

brahmaloka-samaḿ cakre

samastaḿ kṣiti-maṇḍalam

rāmo rāmo rāma iti

sarveṣām abhavat tadā

sarvoramamayo loko

yadā rāmas tv apālayat

It was actually impossible for Rāvaṇa to take away Sītā. The form of Sītā taken by Rāvaṇa was an illusory representation of mother Sītā — maya-sītā. When Sītā was tested in the fire, this māyā-sītā was burnt, and the real Sītā came out of the fire.

A further understanding to be derived from this example is that a woman, however powerful she may be in the material world, must be given protection, for as soon as she is unprotected she will be exploited by Rākṣasas like Rāvaṇa. Here the words vaideha-rāja-duhitari indicate that before mother Sītā was married to Lord Rāmacandra she was protected by her father, Vaideha-rāja. And when she was married she was protected by her husband. Therefore the conclusion is that a woman should always be protected. According to the Vedic rule, there is no scope for a woman's being independent (asamakṣam), for a woman cannot protect herself independently.

As you well know later Sita devi was vindicadet by Mother Earth herself and just as Sita had appeared not through a mundane womb, but through the "womb" of mother Bhumi ,Sitadevi left this world in the same way in front of the Royal assembly with Lrod Ramachandra and all His brothers and sages and citizens of Ayodhya.So twice Sita devi was proven fully pure and beyond faults like an ordinary unchaste wife.She is the godess of Fortune Herself, actually Sita is even Superior to the Laxmis of Vaikuntha.She is one of the first expansions of Srimati Radharani . I hope this answers your questions.

your servant

Paramananda das

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