Jain Ramayana Part 3

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 54

42
JAIN RAMAYAN
was no cheerfulness or joy. Life existed there, no doubt, but the place was silent and desolate like a cemetery.
Sitadevi sat in the shadow of the Ashoka tree with her head bowed in anguish. Her dry and umkempt hair fell over her forehead and cheeks. The ground had grown wet with the tears that had flowed from her eyes constantly. Her face looked bleak and blighted, dull and cheerless, like a lotus covered with snow.
Her body had grown weak and emaciated. Her lips had dried on account of her anguish and constant sighing and like a hermitess, she kept reciting the name, "Ram ! Ram ! Ram !”
Her clothes had become soiled and torn but she did not care for garments or for comforts.
Hanuman saw Sitadevi. He stood quiet for sometime, lost in an adoration of her innate nobility. He began to think, "Sita is a woman of sublime virtues. She is a mahasati. The very sight of Sita sanctifies the beholders. It is natural that Shri Ram should experience such anguish over his separation from her. Any man would be steeped in grief when separated from such a beautiful and noble wife.
Hanuman used to be agitated by one puzzling question, “Such a great hero as Rama; ..... Shri Ram who went away to the forests renouncing wealth, power and royal splendour to carry out his father's word; who was so dispassionate and disinterested as to discard his attachments for his mother, father, brothers and other relatives and who could rise above all selfish considerations. ... ..would such a noble hero experience agitation and anguish over the separation from a mere woman ?" He found an answer to this question after seeing Sitadevi. He realised that Shri Ram's anguish was not caused by any desire for sensual pleasures in the company of Sita and that he was anguished by the separation from his wife who was beautiful in appearance, noble in character and absolutely and wholeheartedly devoted to him.
The stream of Hanuman's thoughts continued to flow.