Post 2
Dear Sri vaishNava perunthagaiyeer,
On my question of whether any reference from vaalmeeki is available on
seethaa's 'educational level', our respected sri krishnamacharya swamin of
Chicago replied, through the Sree Vishnu sahasra naamam commentary on the
naamam 'Om maadhavaaya nama:'. Many thanks are due to him for imparting such a
beautiful commentary on that sweet naama of the lord.
What I actually wanted is a reference slokam, which states seethaa is learned
in such and such aspects. Perhaps sage vaalmeeki is not able to limit himself
that way, that she knows this, this, etc. And as such through her own mouth
puts the following.
Reference 1.
anusishTaa asmi maathraa cha pithraa cha vividha aashrayam |
na asmi samprathi vakthavyaa varthithavyam yathaa mayaa || 2-27-9
meaning: seethaa is talking to raama, and says, 'My mother and father taught me
of 'different matters' long ago. I need not be told now, how to deal in any way
with anyone.
Point: This is an angry reply to raama, when he said, 'you stay here in
ayodhyaa and let me go to forest alone'. That strong reaction, in putting
across of having learnt many things - vividha aashrayam - from parents, comes
out very confidently. Also please note that 'vividha aashrayam - different
matters'. This is the first reference of vaalmeeki on seethaa, expressing that
she has learnt many things from parents.
2. Now the second reference - See how she reacts to raama - again in the course
of same round of discussion - of raama asking her to stay and she saying 'I
will accompany you to the forest'.
See here seethaa saying, 'hey, you only taught me something - now you want me
to go against your own teaching'.
pathi heenaa thu yaa naaree na saa sakshyathi jeevithum |
kaamam Evam vidham raama thvayaa mama vidharsitham || 2-29-7
meaning: Oh Raama! Verily such a thing was taught to me by you, that a woman
disunited from her husband could not be able to survive."
Point: Here that 'vidharsitham' means 'gave knowledge or imparted knowledge or
caused to see or caused to understand'. So the next reference on seethaa's
learning is 'Learning from husband raama' - who is a 'j~naana upasampanna:' as
seen in earlier post.
Perhaps a doubt can be raised on the 'time period available for the couple' for
such a learning, from husband raama to seethaa. As already repeatedly stated in
other writeups, - seethaa says to raavaNan, 'I and my husband enjoyed life in
ayodhyaa for 12 years, in the 13th year only the proposal for coronation came
up'. Why I repeat this is - in the course of the flow of raamaayaNam story,
many in the upanyaasams miss the time aspects. So there was ample time for her
to learn a lot from raama. Also considering that he was around 16 and she was a
'kanyaa' - around 10 years in age - at the time of marriage of raama & seethaa
- that 12 years of living together would definitely have given a lot of
opportunities of learning.
Reference 3.
karishyE sarvam Eva aham aaryaa yadh anusaasthi maam |
abhij~naa asmi yathaa bharthur varthithavyam srutham cha mE || 2-39-27
meaning: seethaa says to her mother in law kousalya, when they are about to
leave to forest and mother in law tendering some advices to seethaa, 'I shall
do just all that, as your venerable self instructs me. I know how I should
behave towards my husband. I have also heard about it earlier."
Point: This is another set of learning - from mother in law. Perhaps the
instructions from a senior person need not be taken as 'learning' but as
advices or suggestions.
But 'how to live and behave in a different place and that too when young couple
is alone' just cannot be brushed aside as NOT a learning in one's life. Please
note here seethaa saying, 'I have heard these earlier also' - That also means
'I learnt these things earlier itself'. And now here reaction can be taken as,
'oh dear mother, I learnt this already, anyhow for reminding these once again
or making me to recall that learning, thank you'.
May be what she said in first reference as different matters include this also,
and from her parents. And she says, 'now once again I assure you I will behave
according to that knowledge and presently your instructions'.
The subject here is about the husband being the important person for a wife and
she has to behave well to him - that too when they are in the forest alone -
not in the supervision of the elders etc. May be the situation can be construed
as when the present day young couple goes for 'thanik kudiththanam', the
parents giving advices to the young ones on 'how to live on own without the
supervision of elders'.
What kowsalyaa said is also worth sharing with the elite audience of the lists.
Hence here it is --
saadhveenaam hi sthithaanaam thu seelE sathyE sruthE samE |
sthreeNaam pavithram paramam pathi: EkO visishyathE || 2-39-24
meaning: Kousalyaa tells seethaa, 'But, for women established in
§ good conduct,
§ truthfulness,
§ sacred learning and
§ mental quietness,
their husband alone is the most sacred entity, the best of all.
Reference 4: seethaa informs anasooya the sage wife of the great 'athri'
maharshi - on that great message given to her by her mother in law -
aagachChanthyaa: cha vijanam vanam Evam bhaya aavaham |
samaahitham hi mE svasraa hrudhayE yath sthitham mahath || 2-118-7
meaning: While departing for the lonely and fearful forest, my mother-in-law
imparted a great message to me, which I have inscribed in my heart."
Point: When a message given by a senior is claimed as 'inscribed in heart' - is
it not a great learning for one in his or her life. What is that message is
above slokam 2-39-24.
Reference 5. seethaa expresses here about her another teacher in her 'mother'.
She gave me a great message says seethaa.
paaNi pradhaana kaalE cha yath puraa thu agni sannidhou |
anusishTaa jananyaa asmi vaakyam thadh api mE dhrutham || 2-118-8
meaning: seethaa says to anasooya - "What my mother taught me earlier and at
the time of my marriage with Raama, witnessed by the fire, I shall always
remember them."
navee krutham thu thath sarvam vaakyai: thE dharma chaariNi |
pathi shushruuShaNaan naaryaaH tapo na anyad vidhiiyate || 2-118-9
meaning: O, virtuous woman! By your words, all that is being renewed. No
austerity, other than obedience to one's husband is decreed for a woman."
Point: See here seethaa talks about renewal of that education - what mother
taught is once again said by anasooya and thus anasooya is another teacher to
seethaa. See here seethaa talks about the austerity for women. Thus her
education is from parents, husband, mother in law, later anasooyaa. We also saw
in the article 'protocol' sage athri treated raama as son and seethaa as
daughter in law. So here when anasooyaa advises seethaa, can we consider
seethaa has another mother in law in anasooya.
Let us continue in next post
Dhasan
Vasudevan m.g.
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