suddenly vanished from sight when Sati reopened her eyes. It was like a nightmare, a
bad dream which vanishes as soon as a person wakes up from sleep. Indeed it was
so—for Sati would now wake up from the ignorance-inspired delusions and would
see the truth and reality. We shall read below in verse no. 8 that the same Sati who
was so sceptical when Shiva had bowed before Lord Ram would now bow her own
head before the latter.]¬ÈÁŸ ¬ÈÁŸ ŸÊß ⁄UÊ◊ ¬Œ ‚Ë‚Ê – ø‹Ë¥ ÄUÊ° ¡„°U ⁄U„U Áª⁄UË‚ÊH 8H
puni puni nā'i rāma pada sīsā. calīṁ tahām̐ jaham̐ rahē girīsā. 8.
She repeateadly bowed her head before Lord Ram (to ask for forgiveness as well as to
pay her respects to him), and then went her way to the spot where Girish (literally, the
Lord of the mountains; here meaning Lord Shiva) had been waiting for her. (8)
ŒÊ0. ªßZ ‚◊ˬ ◊„U‚ Ã’ „°UÁ‚ ¬Í¿UË ∑ȧ‚‹ÊÖ
‹ËÁã„U ¬⁄UË¿UÊ ∑§flŸ Á’Áœ ∑§„U„ÈU ‚àÿ ‚’ ’ÊÃH 55H
dōhā.
ga'īṁ samīpa mahēsa taba ham̐si pūchī kusalāta.
līnhi parīchā kavana bidhi kahahu satya saba bāta. 55.
When Sati reached Lord Mahesh (Shiva), he smiled^1 and asked about her welfare, if
everything was alright with her^2.
Shiva asked her, ‘How did you examine Lord Ram? Tell me everything
truthfully^3 .’ (Doha no. 55)
[Note—^1 Lord Shiva was intelligent, wise and prudent. He could observe the pale face
of Sati, and her crestfallen manners. He smiled because he thought that today Sati has
had her share of wonder that is so characteristic of the deluding world, that she has
learnt the truth the hard way, and that she has had a hands-on bitter experience of
doubting Lord Ram’s divinity on the one hand, and the words of her husband, Lord
Shiva, on the other hand.
(^2) He wondered if everything was alright with her, for he had his doubts. We have
already read ealier that when Shiva failed to persuade Sati to abandon her adamancy
and listen to him to his wise council not to try acting smart to test the authenticity of
Lord Ram or the truthfulness of the words of Shiva, he had decided that the fate of
Sati was not good—refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 5-7 that
precede Doha no. 52.
(^3) It is very significant here that Shiva has asked her to tell ‘everything truthfully’.
It shows that he had his doubts whether Sati would tell him ‘everything’ without
hiding anything, and say it ‘truthfully’. He guessed it correctly that Sati would try to
hide her mischief so as not to annoy her husband any further. She had already
disobeyed Shiva, and had to bite a bitter pill for her audacious and impertinent
behaviour, and now if she told him the truth of what she did, i.e. assumed the form of
Lord Ram’s wife Sita, it would surely stoke the fire of anger in him further. Sati was
scared stiff like a person who is caught between the devil and the deep sea. She was
bound to try more tricks to save her skin; she would surely now try to deceive Shiva
so as to escape being punished by him.
Hence, Shiva concluded, there were fair chances of Sati hiding things from him
and telling a lie to save herself from his wrath.]