and eats the whole world after having first gotten rid of his wife Sati”. It was utterly
nonsense!
As far as Shiva not being the proper companion for a woman because he prefers
to live like an ascetic or sage engrossed in deep meditation and contemplation, this is
a wrong surmising because there were numerous great sages and seers who lived a
life of exemplary self-restraint like an ascetic or hermit but at the same time had
wives. Some of these examples in Ram Charit Manas itself are the following—(i)
sage Vasistha, the royal priest of Ayodhya and the guru of Lord Ram, who had a wife
named Arundhati, (ii) another is sage Atri who had a wife named Anusuyia, (iii) and
then we have sage Gautam whose chaste wife was Ahilya. So to say that a woman has
no place in the home (hermitage) of a learned ascetic is wrong.
The one-sided monologue of the Sapta-rishis was causing immense irritation to
Parvati as will be clear when she sternly ridicules and admonishes them, and tells
them to mind their own business, to shut up and leave her alone as she will not
abandon the advice given by Narad nor her decision to marry Shiva (refer: Ram
Charit Manas, Baal Kand, from Chaupai line no. 5 that precedes Doha no. 80—to
Chaupai line no. 7 that precedes Doha no. 81 herein below).]øı0. •¡„Í°U ◊ÊŸ„ÈU ∑§„UÊ „U◊Ê⁄UÊ – „U◊ ÃÈEg ∑§„È° ’L§ ŸË∑§ Á’øÊ⁄UÊH 1H
•Áà ‚È¢Œ⁄U ‚ÈÁø ‚ÈπŒ ‚È‚Ë‹Ê – ªÊfl®„U ’Œ ¡Ê‚È ¡‚ ‹Ë‹ÊH 2H
ŒÍ·Ÿ ⁄UÁ„Uà ‚∑§‹ ªÈŸ ⁄UÊ‚Ë – üÊˬÁà ¬È⁄U ’Ò∑È¢§ΔU ÁŸflÊ‚ËH 3H
•‚ ’L§ ÃÈEgÁ„U Á◊‹Ê©U’ •ÊŸË– ‚ÈŸÃ Á’„UÁ‚ ∑§„U ’øŸ ÷flÊŸËH 4H
caupā’ī.
ajahūm̐ mānahu kahā hamārā. hama tumha kahum̐ baru nīka bicārā. 1.
ati sundara suci sukhada susīlā. gāvahiṁ bēda jāsu jasa līlā. 2.
dūṣana rahita sakala guna rāsī. śrīpati pura baikuṇṭha nivāsī. 3.
asa baru tumhahi milā'uba ānī. sunata bihasi kaha bacana bhavānī. 4.
It is still not too late (to make amends). Listen to our advice—we have thoroughly
thought over the matter and have arrived at the choice of a wonderful groom who is
most suitable for you. (1)
This groom whom we advice for you is very handome, most holy and divine,
one who provides happiness and joy, and one who is most polite and civilised (as
opposed to the one whom you wish to marry, i.e. Lord Shiva). Even the Vedas (the
scriptures) sing and praise glories and virtues of the groom we are suggesting for you.
(2)
He is free from all the faults (which we have enumerated above in pereceding
verses), and instead he is a treasury of all the good qualities and virtues. He is the
Lord of ‘Sri’ (“Sripati”; husband of Laxmi)^1 , and lives in the exalted heaven known as
“Vaikuntha”. [This is a clear reference to Lord Vishnu as he is the Lord of Laxmi and
resides in Vaikutha too.] (3)
We shall bring such a magnificent groom to meet you^2 .’
When Bhavani^3 (Parvati) heard them out, she smiled (sarcastically and
annoylingly) and said—(4)
[Note—The naughty Sapta-rishis continued to tease Parvati in their attempt to test her
devotion for Lord Shiva, and whether or not she was sincere about it. First they tried
to sway her determination by criticising Shiva and her decision to marry him, and
then presuming that she had developed some doubts in her mind and was thus open to