having assumed this form she started to walk ahead on the path on which Lord Ram
was going in search of Sita. (Doha no. 52)
[Note—Sati decided to assume Sita’s form because she thought that if Lord Ram is
indeed the all-knowing Lord Vishnu as Shiva had told her, then surely he would see
through the illusionary form of Sita that she has assumed, and would recognise her to
be Sati instead.
If Lord Ram, on the other hand, cannot see through her illusionary form and falls
for the trap, thinking her actually to be Sita, then in this case it would be established
beyond doubt that Ram has no insight or divine powers to see behind a veil of deceit,
that he is not all-knowing and omniscient as Shiva had proclaimed him to be. In other
words, Lord Ram was an ordinary human prince, and therefore her doubts about him
are true. This implies that Shiva was wrong and she was correct.]
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caupā’ī.
lachimana dīkha umākṛta bēṣā. cakita bha'ē bhrama hṛdayam̐ bisēṣā. 1.
kahi na sakata kachu ati gambhīrā. prabhu prabhā'u jānata matidhīrā. 2.
#When Laxman saw Uma in her disguised form (as Sita)^1 , he was astonished and
flabbergasted. His heart was puzzled^2 because it was most unexpected. (1)
But he did not say a word because he thought that there was some very serious
matter that defies his mind. Knowing about the Lord’s (Sri Ram’s) stupendous
abilities and powers as well as his mystical ways, he decided to keep quiet and
watch.^3 (2)
[Note—^1 The first point to note here is that Laxman has become aware of Sati’s true
identity. What to say of Lord Ram who is all-knowing, even his fractional form
Laxman could not be deceived by Sati.
Another important point to note here is that the word used for Shiva’s consort is
“Uma” and not “Sati”. This is very crucial here. ‘Uma’ was the daughter of Daksha
Prajapati, and like her father she too was arrogant and overcome with delusions. Even
Shiva has addressed her as “the daughter of Daksha” in Chaupai line no. 5 that
precedes Doha no. 52 to indicate this fact.
On the other hand, the word “Sati” means one who is immaculate and pure, one
who is devoted and loyal towards her husband. How can one expect such a woman to
disbelief her loving husband who is giving a good advice for her own good, and how
can one expect a true Sati to assume the form of another person’s wife as Uma has
done here by becoming Sita?
(^2) Laxman was very surprised and perplexed as he had never imagined in his
wildest of imaginations that Lord Shiva’s consort would stoop so low and do this
mischief. She has fallen low because she wasn’t a ‘Sati’ now, but was ‘Uma’, the
daughter of Daksha, and had inherited the low intellect and wisdom of her over-
jealous and ill-adivsed father.
(^3) Surely there must be some very serious matter with which he is not aware. And
so Laxman thought that it was wise and prudent for him to keep quiet lest he would
make a clown of himself like Uma.
#There is another way of interpreting these verses, and they have a spiritual
message. Laxman was puzzled when he saw Uma, but Lord Ram would not be at all
as we shall read below shortly in the verses that follow. The metaphysical implication
of this development is that a Jiva (a living being), represented by Laxman, is