Now, what answer shall I go and give him (Shiva)^2?
These thoughts filled her heart with immense worry, tormenting it and setting
it literally afire. (2)
[Note—Sati was extremely perturbed. She had disobeyed her husband, Lord Shiva,
despite his repeated attempts to make Sati see reason (refer: Baal Kand, Doha no. 51),
which in its self is a grave sin. This is obviously because she had thought that he is
less wise than she is inspite of witnessing how reverentially sage Agastya had
welcomed and respected her husband, Lord Shiva in Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand,
Chaupai line nos. 1-2 that precede Doha no. 48.
To compound the matter further and make it worse, she had cast her ignorance
upon someone, i.e. Lord Ram, who was praised unanimously by both sage Agastya as
well as her husband Lord Shiva as the Supreme Lord of creation—refer: Ram Charit
Manas, Baal Kand, (i) Chaupai line no. 3 that precedes Doha no. 50; and (ii) Chaupai
line nos. 7-8 along with Chanda line nos. 1-4 that precede Doha no. 51.
(^2) Her fears were not unfounded as we shall read below that as soon as she reached
Lord Shiva, he immediately asked her how she had examined the reality of Lord
Ram—refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Doha no. 55.]
¡ÊŸÊ ⁄UÊ◊ ‚ÃË¥ ŒÈπÈ ¬ÊflÊ – ÁŸ¡ ¬ ̋÷Ê©U ∑§¿ÈU ¬ ̋ªÁ≈U ¡ŸÊflÊH 3H
‚ÃË¥ ŒËπ ∑§ıÃÈ∑ȧ ◊ª ¡ÊÃÊ – •Êª¥ ⁄UÊ◊È ‚Á„Uà üÊË ÷ ̋ÊÃÊH 4H
Á»§Á⁄U ÁøÃflÊ ¬Ê¿U¢ ¬ ̋÷È ŒπÊ – ‚Á„Uà ’¢œÈ Á‚ÿ ‚È¢Œ⁄U ’·ÊH 5H
jānā rāma satīṁ dukhu pāvā. nija prabhā'u kachu pragaṭi janāvā. 3.
satīṁ dīkha kautuku maga jātā. āgēṁ rāmu sahita śrī bhrātā. 4.
phiri citavā pāchēṁ prabhu dēkhā. sahita bandhu siya sundara bēṣā. 5.
Lord Ram realised that Sati was utterly confounded and worried^1. So he decided to
remove all traces of doubts about him that she may still harbour in her mind and heart
by revealing some of his mystical powers that cannot be possessed and displayed by
an ordinary human being (which Sati had thought him to be). (3)
[So, what did Lord Ram do? He assumed many duplicate forms, all like him,
and all accompanied by Sita! This was to show Sati that Sita is never separate from
Lord Ram, and Sati should not think that she is the only one who could play tricks on
the Lord.]
Sati saw a miraculous spectacle unfold before her eyes#. As she was going
back, she saw on the path ahead of her the sight of Lord Ram with Sri (Sita) and his
brother (Laxman). (4)
Stunned, she looked back, only to see the beautiful forms of Lord with Sita
and his brother.^2 (5)
[Note—^1 It is to be noted that no words were exchanged between Lord Ram and Sati.
The Lord had asked her where Shiva, her husband, was, but she hadn’t replied, and
intead had started retracing her steps in the direction from where she had come. But
consternation and perplexties were writ large on her face. Even if she had done her
best to hide it, Lord Ram knew the turbulent state of her mind as he is “all-knowing,
and is privy to the inner thoughts of everyone”—refer: Baal Kand, Chaupai line no. 3
that precedes Doha nos. 3-4 herein above.
(^2) Sati had assumed the form of Sita, Lord Ram’s wife who had been abducted by
Ravana, by the virtue of mystical powers that she possessed which allow one to
change one’s form at will. These powers are normally possessed by gods and
goddesses, but not by an ordinary human prince. Sati had thought that Lord Ram was