వృణీమహే… అహౌ దాస్యామహ!
“Yes, I accept to be the wedded wife”, said Sitha!
It was a beautiful day when four divinely powerful couples got married on a single stage: Rama with Sitha, Lakshmana with Urmila, Bharatha with Mandavi and Shatrujna with Shrutakirti. That was close to 17 and half lakh years ago! All of us still happily celebrate the union of Sitha and Rama. Why? Learn the beautiful facts from Ramayana! It’s an ever rewarding scripture that can satiate one with the desires of physical world and also intellectual, and eternal worlds!
When it comes to Sri Sitha Rama Kalyanam, did Rama choose His wife? What was the protocol in those days for a man to take the hand of a lady in marriage? Is it love or anything more?
Let’s take one step back. Rama spent 10 days with Viswamitra in forests. Being a prince, Rama (followed by Lakshmana) put His best efforts with right attitude in executing the tasks assigned to Him by the sage. When a student behaves right, a Guru automatically wants to give all that he can to the student. Viswamitra promised Dasaratha that he will bestow 10 benefits to Rama after the task is accomplished.
- Bala Vidya
- Athibala Vidya
- Astra Vidya
- Thaataki Samhaara
- Subhahu Samhaara
- Yaga Samrakshana
- Ahalya Saapa Vimochanam
- Siva Dhanurbhangam
- Kalyanam with Sitha
- Parasurama Garva Bhangam
So, it was not love that determined who gets married to who in those days. It was the guidance from a Guru. If not all, our perfect role model Rama followed the instructions of Viswamitra, His Guru. Guru’s choice for Rama took care of two aspects in the girl:
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- Internal beauty determined by right conduct
- External beauty driven by internal cleanliness
Rama did not have to worry about these two aspects because His guru already chose a girl who has the two aspects fulfilled!
We must also look at Ramayana in third level where every incident relates to our journey towards God. When it comes to kalyanam (the wedding), a Guru looks for a soul (Sitha – but, can be anyone of us) who is rightly ready to be wedded to God (Rama). That is why Sitha Rama Kalyanam also unites each one of us with God, and therefore Loka Kalyanam. When every soul bonds with God, and God becomes the common bond between all of us – there is no scope for inner enemies such as jealousy, anger, depression, competition, domination etc! World becomes a better place for everyone.
Let’s all bow down to most revered and beautiful, Sitha (an embodiment of God’s own quality called compassion) who showed us all the path to unite with God. Let our heart be set at the feet of that divine couple for making our journey easier and happier!
– From the discourse of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swami
– Sri Sitha Rama Kalyanam, Divya Saketham, JIVA
– 14th April 2019
– For full video, Watch our YouTube Channel JETWORLD
Don’t forget to read our related post to know what it meant for Sitha to be the right partner for such great being, Sri Rama!
