Saturday, January 8, 2011

The Marriage of Shri Ram and Sita, Baalkand of Shri Ram Charit Manas-2

Cau.: suranhu sumangala avasaru jana, barasahi sumana bajai nisana.

siva brahmadika bibudha barutha,caRhe bimananhi nana jutha. 1


The Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva

Knowing it to be an auspicious occasion the deities began to shower flowers and beat drums with fervour. Shiva, Brahma and all the other gods sat in the aerial cars with their respective groups.The hair on their bodies stood erect with the thrill of rapture. There was an ardent longing in everyone's heart to see the wedding of Lord Rama.

Janakpur, the Capital of Janaka

All the gods were delighted to see Janakpur, the capital of Janaka and their own realms appeared of lower ranks in comparison. Amazed they would gaze at the wonderful pavilions and transcendental creations. Both men and women of the city were mines of beauty, well-formed, pious, beautiful, of good character and discerning. The gods and goddesses appeared lacklustre in their presence like stars seem pale in front of the luminous moon. Brahma, the Creator, was astounded in particular for nowhere did he see his own handiwork (creation).


That is when Lord Shiva explained to everyone,“ You all must not be wonder-struck and calmly ponder over the fact that it is the wedding of Shri Sita (the personal divine energy of God) and Shri Ram (an incarnation of the Supreme Being) who rules over the entire universe."


Lord Shiva Riding Nandishwar, the Bull

"All the evil doings of this mundane world are uprooted by the very mention of whose names and the four goals (arth,kam,dharm and moksa) of life easily come within our grasp, these are the very same Sitå and Råma (the parents of this world),"asserted Shiva, the foe of Cupid. In this way admonishing the deities, Lord Shankar spurred on Nandishwar, his noble bull.


King Dashratha Venturing to Janaka's Palace

The gods beheld a very ecstatic and thrilled Dasharatha riding (to Janaka's palace) with an assemblage of holy men and brahmans. All the four handsome princes shone by his side as if they were incarnations of the four types of final moksa or deliverance (salokya, sarupya, samipya, sayujya). The gods loved to see the handsome pairs of brothers who were dark and fair-hued like emerald and gold respectively. Delighted to see Ramchandra ji in paticular, deities sang the glories of Dashratha and began showering flowers.


Lord Shankar & Uma

Repeatedly gazing at the handsome form of Shri Ramchandra, Lord Shankar was rapturous along with Uma and their eyes welled with tears of joy.


The Divine Beauty of Lord Rama

A beautiful countenance like the autumnal moon, lotus-like eyes and unearthly beauty of Lord Rama was beyond description and passionately drew the mind. Auspicious wedding ornaments adorning Shri Ram's dark-hued limbs which glowed like a peacock's neck, looked so attractive whereas His bright yellow garments outshone lightning. Ramchandra ji forayed ahead with his charming brothers riding their restive horses besides Him. Family bards were busy reciting the glories of their lineage.


Garuda, the King of Birds

Even Garuda, the king of birds, was ashamed at the speed of the steed that Råma rode. It was so handsome in every way that it seemed as though Cupid himself had assumed the form of a horse and enchanted the whole world (cosmological region) with its lovely youth, vigour, form, virtues and pace. A beautiful saddle studded with lovely pearls and gems was fastened on his back and he had a lovely bridle. Steeped in the Lord's wishes, the horse looked very majestic as it cantered along. It seemed as if a cloud adorned with a cluster of stars and lightning was making a beautiful peacock dance. Even Sarada (the goddess of knowledge,music and arts) could not describe the powerful steed which Lord Rama was riding.


Lord Shankara

Lord Shankara (with five faces which have three eyes each) was ecstatic on seeing the beautiful form of Ramchandraji and at that point of time loved his fifteen eyes.


Lord Vishnu & Laxmi

Laxmipati ( a title of Vishnu) fondly looked at Rama and was enchanted along with Shri Laxmi.


Brahmå ji was delighted to behold Lord Råma's majestic beauty but felt sorry that he had only eight eyes.


Lord Kartikeya

Kartikeya (six-faced god of war and son of Shiva) was enthusiastically watching Shri Ram with his twelve eyes.


Lord Indra

Indra was lovingly adulating Shri Ram with his thousand eyes and considered Gautama's curse as the greatest blessing for him. All the gods were raving of Indra' superiority in this matter. And the courts of both the monarchs were very delighted.


Kettledrums were being beaten on both sides and the gods were raining down flowers. Queen Sunayana (Sita's mother) called for married women (whose husbands were living) and got the auspicious preparations and decorations done for parcchan ( the ceremony of sanctifying a bridegroom by means of arti).


Decked Women Welcome Dasaratha & His Four Sons

Decorating the platter in several ways, lovely women decked and adorned in a wide array of ornaments and garments, sang melodious songs and walked ahead. Their bracelets, the zone of bells around their waists and tinkling anklets sounded with ravishing melody.Seeing their gait even the elephants of Kamdev were put to shame. Several auspicious musical instruments were being played by deities in the sky and denizens in the city.


Goddesses Indrani, Brahmani & Rudrani

Indrani (Indras's consort), Brahmani, Rudrani and other goddesses guised as beautiful maidens came and mingled with the royal gynaeceum, and began singing nuptial songs with everyone. Absorbed in joyous revelry, no one could identify them and the goddesses collectively went to partake in the parcchan of Ramchandra ji who was none other than an incarnation of the Supreme Spirit. All of them were rapturous to behold the bridegroom, a source of bliss. Their lotus-like eyes streamed with tears of joy and hair on their bodies stood erect with the thrill of ecstasy.


Do.: jo sukhu bhå siya måtu mana dekhi råma bara besu,

so na sakahi kahi kalapa sata sahasa såradå sesu.318


Goddess Sharada

The joy which queen Sunayana, the mother of Sita, experienced on seeing Shri Ram clad as a bridegroom can not be expressed by even a thousand Sharadas (Saraswatis) and Sesas in hundreds of kalpas.

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