[Note—^1 Chaupai line no. 5 is the comment of the author, Goswami Tulsidas. He
means that a woman is easily led astray by delusions so much so that she would not
believe even her own husband once an idea gets its hold on her mind.
A similar idea is expressed in Ram Charit Manas, Ayodhya Kand, Chaupai line
no. 7 that precedes Doha no. 47 in the context of Kaikeyi who was so overcome with
selfishness that her sense of rationality and probity took a severe beating, and she
decided to send Lord Ram to forest so that her son Bharat could ascend the throne,
not realising the turbulence this stubbornness would bring upon the whole family and
the kingdom.
Once again, it is said in Ram Charit Manas, Ayodhya Kand, Chaupai line nos. 4-5
that precede Doha no. 162 that “even the creator Brahma (“Vidhi”) is not able to
understand the nature of a woman and how she would react”.(^2) Even Lord Shiva had realised that it was the Lord’s powerful Maya that has got
its hold on Sati’s mind so that she has become so stubborn and irrational—refer: Ram
Charit Manas, Baal Kand, line no. 2 of Doha no. 51.
Later on, when Sati told Shiva a lie that she hasn’t tested Ram, Shiva again
wondered at the powerful force of Lord Ram’s Maya that prevailed upon and
instigated Sati to commit the unpardonable sin of telling a lie to her husband—refer:
Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line no. 5 that precedes Doha no. 56.
When Hanuman met Lord Ram later on in the story in Kishkindha Kand, he too
could not recognise the Lord due to the deluding powers of Lord Ram’s Maya—refer:
Ram Charit Manas, Kishkindha Kand, Chaupai line no. 9 that precedes Doha no. 2.
(^3) Why has Lord Ram smiled? Because he is in awe of his own Maya and the
powerful delusions it can create. It is a wry smile, a sort of a teasing smirk with
taught lips. Refer also to: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, line no. 2 of Doha no. 51;
and Chaupai line no. 8 that precedes Doha no. 132.
We shall read later on in Ram Charit Manas that when sage Sutikshan asked the
Lord that he be allowed to accompany him to the hermitage of sage Agastya, the Lord
had smiled and given his assent. It is because here also Sutikshan has used cunning so
that he can be in the company of Lord Ram by saying that he hasn’t met his guru
Agastya for quite some time and it is an opportunity to go and meet him with Lord
Ram. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Aranya Kand, Chaupai line nos. 2-4 that precede
Doha no. 12.
In other words, whenever someone uses cunning tricks with the Lord to serve his
or her own agenda, Lord Ram smiles because he knows the real intention.]
¡ÙÁ⁄U ¬ÊÁŸ ¬ ̋÷È ∑§Ëã„U ¬ ̋ŸÊ◊Í – Á¬ÃÊ ‚◊à ‹Ëã„U ÁŸ¡ ŸÊ◊ÍH 7H
∑§„U©U ’„UÙÁ⁄U ∑§„UÊ° ’η∑§ÃÍ – Á’Á¬Ÿ •∑§Á‹ Á»§⁄U„ÈU ∑§Á„U „UÃÍH 8H
jōri pāni prabhu kīnha pranāmū. pitā samēta līnha nija nāmū. 7.
kahē'u bahōri kahām̐ bṛṣakētū. bipina akēli phirahu kēhi hētū. 8.
The Lord (Sri Ram) joined his palms and reverentially bowed before Sati, introducing
himself by his own name and that of his father (king Dasrath). (7)
Then he politely asked her, ‘Say, where is ‘Brishketu’ (one of the names of
Lord Shiva)? Why are you (i.e. for what reason are you) wondering alone in the dense
forest?’ (8)
[Note—The very fact that Lord Ram bowed his head and then introuduced
himself by not only saying his own name but being more specific by adding the name
of his father shows that he was kind of teasing Sati. He subtly reprimanded her by
saying in effect that since she was so stupid that she didn’t know who he (Ram) was
inspite of Shiva telling her all essential elements associated with the Lord as narrated