THE GOLDEN SITA FROM RAMAYAN (A STORY OF THE RIGHT OF THE ABANDONED OR ABSENT)

 THE GOLDEN SITA FROM RAMAYAN 
(A STORY OF THE RIGHT OF THE ABANDONED OR ABSENT)

 

     The story of Golden Sita (Golden statue of Goddess Sita) in “Ramayan” (the famous epic) is a popular episode and has become a tradition since ages. Interestingly without any religious bias, it can be said to be a story of ensuring the right of the Abandoned or Absent (in absentia). It centers around the mandatory presence and participation of wife (spouse) if there is a living wife; in any “Yagna” and auspicious “Puja”, (in important worshiping rituals such as inaugural, ground breaking and foundation functions included) as a mandatory requirement beside the husband (spouse). In case the wife cannot be present and cannot participate due to any reason (including her biological reasons such as ongoing period of menstruation as normally avoided or any other biological condition not enabling her presence), alternative solutions are adopted to complete and fulfill the requirement in the absence of the living wife in the rituals.

As described in the “Ramayan”, Lord Ram, came back to “Ayodhya” (His Kingdom) along with Goddess Sita (his wife) after defeating and killing the Demon King “Ravana” and graced the throne as the popular king of Ayodhya. According to the story, in the meanwhile one of his subjects, may be out of ignorance, during a quarrel between their husband and wife, as the wife had spent a longer time in her parents’ house during a visit, making a comparative statement, castigated doubt on the character of Goddess Sita as she had also spent long time in Lanka in kidnapped and hostage conditions, in spite of the fact that Goddess Sita had already gone through “Agni Pariksha“ (test of fire) on the same grounds and the matter having been settled for public, and unfortunately Lord Ram over heard this statement of the subject during a mere husband wife quarrel, during a visit to the habitat area of the subject, in order to feel the feedback of his “Ram Rajya” (Rule of State Ruled by Lord Ram). Lord Ram could not absorb this criticism from one of the subjects in his “Ram Rajya”, took serious cognizance of it and for maintaining the dignity of the king of Ayodhya (as he was the King Ram as King of Ayodhya) painfully but maintaining “Raj Dharma”(duty of the king)  according to Him ( as responsibility and accountability of the king ), he decided to abandon His wife Goddess Sita, even at a time when she was expecting his own children, and ordered his younger brother Lakshman to take and drop her in the middle of the forest, in a vulnerable condition, and Lakshman ever obedient to his elder brother Lord Ram did exactly as was directed (though painfully). Of course in the meanwhile, even if Goddess Sita was abandoned in the forest, she got the blessings of “Balmiki Rishi”(Saint Balmiki)“ and got shelter in his “ashram”(holy residence).Thus, Goddess Sita lived in an abandoned and separated condition as a living wife of Lord Ram (as King Ram) and at the same time Lord Ram remained a king living without a wife at that point of time.

However as a king then, it was required of Lord Ram who had to perform many “Yagnas“ and Auspicious puja functions (Worshipping rituals including inaugurals and foundations), whereas, absence of his wife became a big handicap and he was not being able to perform it in absence of his wife, also as the presence and participation of his wife was a mandatory requirement then. Therefore, as a solution for this problem for Lord Ram, the Rajguru (Teacher of Kings) Saint Vasistha advised an alternative arrangement, wherein a Pure Golden statue of Goddess Sita (The Golden Sita) will be placed in the venue and it would be enlivened by “mantra” (spiritual hymn)there to complete the absence of the wife and to make it her deemed presence and participation in the function. This practice was followed for all functions Lord Ram conducted, and accordingly, many Golden Sita(s) were instituted and remained in Ayodhya due to such functions performed by Lord Ram.

After end of his term of “Tretaya Yuga“ (Tretaya age as per mythology) when Lord Ram decided to go back to his abode in “Baikuntha” in heaven, the Golden Sita(s) instituted show far and existing multiple numbers also demanded to go with him, and Lord Ram as “Bishnu” incarnation having his wife Goddess Lakshmi there in “Baikuntha”, could not carry these Golden Sita(s) with him, but promised them that the Golden Sita(s) will have opportunity to romance with him as “Gopis“ (the beautiful ladies of Gopa) when he would come back as Lord Krishna next in “Dwapar Yuga“ (Dwapar Age) which did happen, as the Golden Sita(s ) were born as the 16000 odd Gopis and romanced with Lord Krishna during Dwapar Yuga when “Radha  ( also a lady from Gopa ) was also the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and was his lady love as a Gopi.

Thus the tradition of alternative arrangement in case the wife is absent for any reason to participate in the auspicious “Yagna” and “Puja“ has been carried forward from Ramayan age as a matter of mandatory requirement and well honoured. This tradition is believed to have been introduced as both husband and wife (otherwise men and women in modern age) have equal role in a household, have equal role of participation in auspicious occasions ( including inaugural and foundation ceremonies ) whereas (in reality) both also share equal role in the fundamental creation, the recreation (reproduction) and perpetuation of life. It goes without saying that in most auspicious functions of importance as said above when and where ever are performed, as a matter of obedience and compliance towards the faith, this tradition is honoured irrespective of power and position (as even Lord Ram the great king and great God, as per Epic Ramayan was not spared of it) in order not to have any inauspicious issue with it (the purpose) for future.

(Disclaimer : This writ up is a story drawn from Ramayan and does not intend to target/depict anyone particular and it is based only on mythological facts).

About the Author : Dr. Nimain Charan  Biswal is a B.Sc.(Agri. Science and Technology). M.B.A. and Ph.D.( Management Area ) by qualifications and he has 34+years of work experience in both  industrial and development sectors in diversified fields of social importance. He has been educated at Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT)-Bhubaneswar, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) and Gujarat University ( with Resource Support of IIM-Ahmedabad ). Dr.Biswal is further educated at IIM-Calcutta, XLRI-Jamshedpur, Apple Computer Industries and Spar Inc., USA. He has worked for reputed National and International Organisations in Senior/Top Management Capacities. He is a management  expert, a prominent professional of India and known Internationally as well. He lives at Mumbai in India.



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