Sati’s bewilderment, Śrī Rāma’s divine glory and Sati’s remorse

Dohas

kahau sō mati anuhāri aba umā saṃbhu saṃbāda.

bhayau samaya jēhi hētu jēhi sunu muni miṭihi biṣāda..47.. [1-47]

I shall repeat now to the best of my lights the dialogue between Umā (Goddess Pārvatī) and Śambhu (Lord Śiva). Hear, O sage, the time and the occasion of this dialogue; your gloom will be lifted. (47)

Chaupais

ēka bāra trētā juga māhīṃ. saṃbhu gaē kuṃbhaja riṣi pāhīṃ..

saṃga satī jagajanani bhavānī. pūjē riṣi akhilēsvara jānī.. [1-47-1]

rāmakathā munībarja bakhānī. sunī mahēsa parama sukhu mānī..

riṣi pūchī haribhagati suhāī. kahī saṃbhu adhikārī pāī.. [1-47-2]

kahata sunata raghupati guna gāthā. kachu dina tahāom rahē girināthā..

muni sana bidā māgi tripurārī. calē bhavana saomga dacchakumārī.. [1-47-3]

tēhi avasara bhaṃjana mahibhārā. hari raghubaṃsa līnha avatārā..

pitā bacana taji rāju udāsī. daṃḍaka bana bicarata abināsī.. [1-47-4]

Once upon a time, in the age of Tretā, Lord Śiva called on the jar-born sage Agastya. His consort, Goddess Satī, Mother of the universe, accompanied Him. The sage worshipped Him knowing Him to be the universal lord. The great sage narrated at length the story of Rāma and Lord Mahesa listened to it with extreme delight. The sage then inquired about Devotion to Hari and Śambhu discoursed on it finding in the sage a fit recipient. Thus narrating and hearing the tale of Śrī Rāma’s virtues, the Lord of Kailāsa (Śiva) spent some days there. Finally, asking leave of the sage, the Slayer of the demon Tripura, Śaṅkara, proceeded to His home (Mount Kailāsa) with Dakṣa’s daughter (Satī). During those very days, with a view to relieving the burden of the earth, Śrī Hari had descended in the line of king Raghu. Renouncing His right to the Throne at the word of His father (Daśaratha), the immortal Lord was wandering in the Daṇḍaka forest in the garb of an ascetic. (1-4)

Dohas

hdayaom bicārata jāta hara kēhi bidhi darasanu hōi.

gupta rupa avatarēu prabhu gaēom jāna sabu kōi..48ka.. [1-48(A)]

saṃkara ura ati chōbhu satī na jānahiṃ maramu sōi..

tulasī darasana lōbhu mana ḍaru lōcana lālacī..48kha.. [1-48(A)-48(B)]

Lord Hara (Śiva) kept pondering as He went, “How can I obtain a sight of Him? The Lord has bodied Himself forth secretly; and if I visit Him, everyone will know who He is.” In Śaṅkara’s heart there was a great tumult; Satī, however, had no inkling of this secret. His mind, says Tulasīdāsa, apprehended lest the secret might be disclosed while the temptation of obtaining a sight of the Lord made His eyes wistful. (48 A-B)

Chaupais

rāvana marana manuja kara jācā. prabhu bidhi bacanu kīnha caha sācā..

jauṃ nahiṃ jāu rahai pachitāvā. karata bicāru na banata banāvā.. [1-48(A)-1]

ēhi bidhi bhaē sōcabasa īsā. tēhi samaya jāi dasasīsā..

līnha nīca mārīcahi saṃgā. bhayau turata sōi kapaṭa kuraṃgā.. [1-48(A)-2]

kari chalu mūḍha harī baidēhī. prabhu prabhāu tasa bidita na tēhī..

mṛga badhi bandhu sahita hari āē. āśramu dēkhi nayana jala chāē.. [1-48(A)-3]

biraha bikala nara iva raghurāī. khōjata bipina phirata dōu bhāī..

kabahūom jōga biyōga na jākēṃ. dēkhā pragaṭa biraha dukha tākēṃ.. [1-48(A)-4]

“Rāvaṇa (the demon king of Laṅkā) had sought from Brahmā the boon of death at the hands of a human foe; and the Lord would have the words of Brahmā come true. If I do not go to meet Him, I shall ever regret it.” Śiva pondered, but found no solution to the puzzle. The Lord was thus lost in a reverie. Meanwhile the vile Rāvaṇa (who had no less than ten heads) took with him the demon Mārīca, who forthwith assumed the illusory form of a deer. The fool (Rāvaṇa) carried off king Videha’s daughter (Sītā) by fraud; the Lord’s real might was not known to him. Having killed the antelope Śrī Hari returned with His brother (Lakṣmaṇa) ; and His eyes were filled with tears when He saw the empty hermitage. The Lord of Raghus felt distressed at the loss like a mortal man, and the two brothers roamed about in the woods in search of Her. He who knows neither union nor separation showed unmistakable signs of grief born of separation. (1-4)

Dohas

ati vicitra raghupati carita jānahiṃ parama sujāna.

jē matimaṃda bimōha basa hṛdayaom dharahiṃ kachu āna..49.. [1-49]

Exceedingly mysterious are the ways of the Lord of Raghus; the supremely wise alone can comprehend them. The dull-witted in their height of folly imagine something quite different. (49)

Chaupais

saṃbhu samaya tēhi rāmahi dēkhā. upajā hiyaom ati harapu bisēṣā..

bhari lōcana chabisiṃdhu nihārī. kusamaya jānina kīnhi cinhārī.. [1-49-1]

jaya saccidānaṃda jaga pāvana. asa kahi calēu manōja nasāvana..

calē jāta siva satī samētā. puni puni pulakata kṛpānikētā.. [1-49-2]

satīṃ sō dasā saṃbhu kai dēkhī. ura upajā saṃdēhu bisēṣī..

saṃkaru jagatabaṃdya jagadīsā. sura nara muni saba nāvata sīsā.. [1-49-3]

tinha nṛpasutahi naha paranāmā. kahi saccidānaṃda paradhamā..

bhaē magana chabi tāsu bilōkī. ajahu prīti ura rahati na rōkī.. [1-49-4]

On that very occasion Śambhu saw Śrī Rāma and excessive joy of an extraordinary type welled up in His heart. He feasted His eyes on that Ocean of Beauty; but He did not disclose His identity as He knew it was no appropriate occasion for the same. The Destroyer of Cupid, Śiva, passed on exclaiming “Glory to the Redeemer of the universe, who is all Truth, Consciousness and Bliss!” As Śiva went on His way with Satī, the all-merciful Lord was repeatedly thrilled with joy. When Satī beheld Śambhu in this state, a grave doubt arose in Her mind: “Śaṅkara is a Lord of the universe Himself, and deserves universal adoration; gods, men and sages all bow their head to Him. Yet He made obeisance to this prince, referring to him as the Supreme Being who is all Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. He was enraptured to behold his beauty and felt an upsurge of emotion in His heart, which He is unable to control even to this moment!” (1-4)

Dohas

brahma jō vyāpaka biraja aja akala anīha abhēda.

sō ki dēha dhari hōi nara jāhi na jānata vēda.. 50.. [1-50]

“The Supreme Eternal, which is all-pervading, unbegotten, without parts, free from desire, beyond Māyā and beyond all distinction and which not even the Vedas can comprehend-can It assume the shape of a man?” (50)

Chaupais

biṣnu jō sura hita naratanu dhārī. sōu sarbagya jathā tripurārī..

khōjai sō ki agya iva nārī. gyānadhāma śrīpati asurārī.. [1-50-1]

saṃbhugirā puni mṛṣā na hōī. siva sarbagya jāna sabu kōī..

asa saṃsaya mana bhayau apārā. hōī na hṛdayaom prabōdha pracārā.. [1-50-2]

jadyapi pragaṭa na kahēu bhavānī. hara aṃtarajāmī saba jānī..

sunahi satī tava nāri subhāū. saṃsaya asa na dharia ura kāū.. [1-50-3]

jāsu kathā kubhaṃja riṣi gāī. bhagati jāsu maiṃ munihi sunāī..

sōu mama iṣṭadēva raghubīrā. sēvata jāhi sadā muni dhīrā.. [1-50-4]

“Even Viṣṇu Who takes a human form for the sake of gods, is omniscient like the Slayer of Tripura, Śiva. Can He wander in search of His Consort like an ignorant man - He who is a repository of knowledge, the Lord of Śrī (the goddess of prosperity) and the slayer of demons? The words of Śambhu too cannot be false. Everyone knows that He is all-wise.” Thus Her mind was filled with an interminable series of doubts; Her heart could not be pacified by any means. Although Bhavānī (Goddess Pārvatī) did not open Her lips, Lord Hara, Who is the inner controller of all, came to know everything. “Look here, Satī, the woman is foremost in you; you should never harbour such a doubt in your mind. He is no other than Rāma, the Hero of Raghu’s race, My beloved Deity, whose story was sung by the jar-born sage Agastya, faith in whom was the subject of the talk I gave to him and whom illumined sages ever wait upon.” (1-4)

Chhands

muni dhīra jōgī siddha saṃtata bimala mana jēhi dhyāvahīṃ.

kahi nēti nigama purāna āgama jāsu kīrati gāvahīṃ..

sōi rāmu byāpaka brahma bhuvana nikāya pati māyā dhanī.

avatarēu apanē bhagata hita nijataṃtra nita raghukulamani..

“He who has bodied Himself forth as the Jewel of Raghu’s race for the sake of His devotees is no other than the Supreme Eternal, who is all-pervading and ever free, who is the Ruler of all the worlds and the Lord of Māyā, whom illumined sages, Yogīs (mystics) and Siddhas (adepts) constantly meditate upon with their sinless mind and whose glory is sung by the Vedas as well as the Purāṇas and other scriptures in negative terms as ‘not this’.”

Sortas

lāga na ura upadēsu jadapi kahēu sivaom bāra bahu.

bōlē bihasi mahēsu harimāyā balu jāni jiyaom..51.. [1-50-51]

Although Lord Śiva repeated this time after time, His exhortation made no impression on the heart of Sati. Then the great Lord Śiva smilingly said, realizing in His heart the potency of Śrī Hari’s Māyā:- (51)

Chaupais

jauṃ tumharēṃ mana ati saṃdēhū. tau kina jāi parīchā lēhū..

taba lagi baiṭha ahau baṭachāhiṃ. jaba lagi tumha aihahu mōhi pāhī.. [1-50-1]

jaisēṃ jāi mōha bhrama bhārī. karēhu sō jatanu bibēka bicārī..

calīṃ satī siva āyasu pāī. karahiṃ bicāru karauṃ kā bhāī.. [1-50-2]

ihāom saṃbhu asa mana anumānā. dacchasutā kahu nahiṃ kalyānā..

mōrēhu kahēṃ na saṃsaya jāhīṃ. bidhī biparīta bhalāī nāhīṃ.. [1-50-3]

hōihi sōi jō rāma raci rākhā. kō kari tarka baḍhaāvai sākhā..

asa kahi lagē japana harināmā. gaī satī jahaom prabhu sukhadhāmā.. [1-50-4]

“If you have a grave doubt in your mind, why not go and verify the thing? I shall be waiting in the shade of this banyan tree till you come back to Me. Using your critical judgment you should resort to some device whereby the stupendous error born of your ignorance may be rectified.” Thus obtaining leave of Śiva, Satī proceeded on Her mission. She racked Her brains to find out what step She should take (in order to test the divinity of Rāma). On this side Śiva came to the conclusion that mischief was in store for Dakṣa’s daughter (Satī). “When her doubt did not yield even to My assurances,” He said to Himself, “it seems the stars are unpropitious to her and no good-will come out of it. After all, whatever Śrī Rāma has willed must come to pass; why should one add to the complication by indulging in further speculation?” So saying, Lord Śiva began to mutter the name of Śrī Hari; while Satī proceeded to the spot where the all-blissful Lord (Śrī Rāma) was. (1-4)

Dohas

puni puni hṛdayaom vicāru kari dhari sītā kara rupa.

āgēṃ hōi cali paṃtha tēhi jēhiṃ āvata narabhūpa..52.. [1-52]

After many an anxious thought Satī assumed the form of Sītā and moved ahead on the same route along which the Ruler of men (Śrī Rāma) was passing. (52)

Chaupais

lachimana dīkha umākṛta bēṣā cakita bhaē bhrama hṛdayaom bisēṣā..

kahi na sakata kachu ati gaṃbhīrā. prabhu prabhāu jānata matidhīrā.. [1-52-1]

satī kapaṭu jānēu surasvāmī. sabadarasī saba aṃtarajāmī..

sumirata jāhi miṭai agyānā. sōi sarabagya rāmu bhagavānā.. [1-52-2]

satī kīnha caha tahaomhu durāū. dēkhahu nāri subhāva prabhāū..

nija māyā balu hṛdayaom bakhānī. bōlē bihasi rāmu mṛdu bānī.. [1-52-3]

jōri pāni prabhu kīnha pranāmū. pitā samēta līnha nija nāmū..

kahēu bahōri kahāom bṛṣakētū. bipina akēli phirahu kēhi hētū.. [1-52-4]

When Lakṣmaṇa saw Umā (Satī) in Her disguise, he was astonished and much puzzled. He was tongue-tied and looked very grave; the sagacious brother was acquainted with the Lord’s glory. All-perceiving and the inner controller of all, the lord of gods, Śrī Rāma, took no time in detecting the false appearance of Satī, Rāma was the same omniscient Lord whose very thought wipes out ignorance. Satī sought to practise deception even on Him: see how deep-rooted the nature of a woman is! Extolling in His heart the potency of His Māyā (delusive power), Śrī Rāma smilingly accosted Her in a mild tone. Joining the palms of His hands, He first made obeisance to Her mentioning His name alongwith His father’s. He then asked Her the whereabouts of Lord Śiva (who has a bull emblazoned on His standard) and wondered what made Her roam about all alone in the forest. (1-4)

Dohas

rāma bacana mṛdu gūḍha suni upajā ati saṃkōcu.

satī sabhīta mahēsa pahiṃ calīṃ hṛdayaom baḍa sōcu..53.. [1-53]

Satī felt very uncomfortable when She heard these soft yet significant words of Rāma. She turned towards the great Lord Śiva with a feeling of awe and much dejected at heart. (53)

Chaupais

maiṃ saṃkara kara kahā na mānā. nija agyānu rāma para ānā..

jāi utaru aba dēhau kāhā. ura upajā ati dāruna dāhā.. [1-53-1]

jānā rāma satīṃ dukhu pāvā. nija prabhāu kachu pragaṭi janāvā..

satīṃ dīkha kautuku maga jātā. āgēṃ rāmu sahita śrī bhrātā.. [1-53-2]

phiri citavā pāchēṃ prabhu dēkhā. sahita baṃdhu siya suṃdara vēṣā..

jahaom citavahiṃ tahaom prabhu āsīnā. sēvahiṃ siddha munīsa prabīnā.. [1-53-3]

dēkhē siva bidhi biṣnu anēkā. amita prabhāu ēka tēṃ ēkā..

baṃdata carana karata prabhu sēvā. bibidha bēṣa dēkhē saba dēvā.. [1-53-4]

“I heeded not the word of Śaṅkara and imposed My own ignorance on Rāma. What reply shall I give to my lord now?” The agony of Her heart was most terrible. Śrī Rāma perceived that Satī had got vexed; He, therefore, revealed to Her a part of His glory. As She went on Her way Satī beheld a strange phenomenon. Rāma was going ahead of Her alongwith His Consort, Sītā, and His younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa. She looked back and there too She saw the Lord with His brother and Sītā in an attractive garb. Whichever way She turned Her eyes, there was the Lord enthroned with the Siddhas (adepts) and illumined sages ministering to Him. Satī saw more than one sets of Śiva, Brahmā and Viṣṇu, each set possessing a glory infinitely greater than that of the others. She also beheld a whole host of gods bowing at the Lord’s feet and waiting upon Him in their different garbs. (1-4)

Dohas

satī bidhātrī iṃdirā dēkhīṃ amita anūpa.

jēhiṃ jēhiṃ bēṣa ajādi sura tēhi tēhi tana anurūpa..54.. [1-54]

She further perceived innumerable Satss (consorts of Śiva), consorts of Brahmā and Lakṣmī (consorts of Viṣṇu), all peerless in beauty. They conformed in their appearance to the garb in which Brahmā and the other gods appeared. (54)

Chaupais

dēkhē jahaom tahaom raghupati jētē. saktinha sahita sakala sura tētē..

jīva carācara jō saṃsārā. dēkhē sakala anēka prakārā.. [1-54-1]

pūjahiṃ prabhuhi dēva bahu bēṣā. rāma rūpa dūsara nahiṃ dēkhā..

avalōkē raghupati bahutērē. sītā sahita na bēṣa ghanērē.. [1-54-2]

sōi raghubara sōi lachimanu sītā. dēkhi satī ati bhaī sabhītā..

hṛdaya kaṃpa tana sudhi kachu nāhīṃ. nayana mūdi baiṭhīṃ maga māhīṃ.. [1-54-3]

bahuri bilōkēu nayana ughārī. kachu na dīkha tahaom dacchakumārī..

puni puni nāi rāma pada sīsā. calīṃ tahāom jahaom rahē girīsā.. [1-54-4]

Each separate vision of Rāma was attended by a whole host of gods with their feminine counterparts, as well as by the whole animate and inanimate creation with its multitudinous species. But while the gods who adored the Lord appeared in diverse garbs, the appearance of Śrī Rāma was the same in every case. Although She saw many Rāmas with as many Sītās, their garb did not vary. Seeing the same Rāma, the same Lakṣmaṇa and the same Sītā, Satī was struck with great awe. Her heart quivered, and She lost all consciousness of Her body. Closing Her eyes she sat down on the wayside. When She opened Her eyes and gazed once more, the daughter of Dakṣa saw nothing there. Repeatedly bowing Her head at the feet of Śrī Rāma, She proceeded to the spot where the Lord of Kailāsa was. (1-4)

Dohas

gaī samīpa mahēsa taba haomsi pūchī kusalāta.

līnhī parīchā kavana bidhi kahahu satya saba bāta..55.. [1-55]

When She came near, Lord Śiva smilingly inquired if all was well with Her and then said, “Tell me now the whole truth, how did you test Śrī Rāma?” (55)

Chaupais

satīṃ samujhi raghubīra prabhāū. bhaya basa siva sana kīnha durāū..

kachu na parīchā līnhi gōsāī. kīnha pranāmu tumhārihi nāī.. [1-55-1]

jō tumha kahā sō mṛṣā na hōī. mōrēṃ mana pratīti ati sōī..

taba saṃkara dēkhēu dhari dhyānā. satīṃ jō kīnha carita saba jānā.. [1-55-2]

bahuri rāmamāyahi siru nāvā. prēri satihi jēhiṃ jhūomṭha kahāvā..

hari icchā bhāvī balavānā. hṛdayaom bicārata saṃbhu sujānā.. [1-55-3]

satīṃ kīnha sītā kara bēṣā. siva ura bhayau biṣāda bisēṣā..

jauṃ aba karau satī sana prītī. miṭai bhagati pathu hōi anītī.. [1-55-4]

Having realized the greatness of the Hero of Raghu’s race, Satī in Her awe concealed the truth from Śiva. “I made no test my Lord; I made obeisance just like You. What You said cannot be untrue; I am fully convinced in my heart.” Lord Śaṅkara then looked within by contemplation and came to know all that Satī had done. Again, He bowed His head to the delusive power of Śrī Rāma, that had prompted Satī to tell a lie. What has been preordained by the will of Śrī Hari must have its way, the all-wise Śambhu thought within Himself. Satī had assumed the disguise of Sītā: this made Śiva much disconsolate at heart. “If I continue to love Satī as heretofore, the cult of Devotion will disappear and it will be indecorous on My part to do so.” (1-4)