From a satsang with Pt. Umadutt Maharaj, Spiritual Leader, SWAHA Gyaan Bhakti Mandali
The marriage between Prabhu Shree Raam and Seeta Maataa is Puraan Prem, the love relationship between Brahm and Shakti that has existed since the beginning of all creation. When the Lord manifests Himself on earth, He performs two types of actions: Swaroop Lakshan and Tatastha Lakshan. In the first instance He appears in His Divine Form and, in the second, he acts as an ordinary human being, yet his actions sometimes indicate that He is the Divine manifested. In the Shree Raamcharitramaanas, Shree Raam manifested as perfection in all aspects of life. From a philosophical point of view, he represents perfection in spirituality.
The Lord Himself says,
“Yada yada hee dharmasya
Glanir bhavati bharata
Abhyutanam adharmasya
Tadatmanam shreejamyaham
Paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam
Dharmasangsthapanarthay sambhavami yuge yuge”
Whenever there is a descent of dharma, O Bharat,
And there is an exaltation of unrighteousness, then I body Myself forth.
For the protection of the good and for the destruction of evildoers,
For the sake of re-establishing righteousness,
I am born from age to age.
Within the context of Shree Raam and Seeta Maataa’s marriage, the katha begins with the arrival of Sage Vishwamitra in Ayodhya, seeking the protective shelter of the Lord’s incarnations, Shree Raam and Lakshmanji. He was in the forest conducting a yagya but was being harassed by two persistent demons, Mareech and Subahu, and thus could not perform his sacrifice. From a philosophical perspective, these demons often represent negative qualities within us that impede us on the spiritual path. He had heard that the Lord had manifested Himself in Ayodhya Puri in the forms of Shree Raam, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan and so he requested of King Dasrath two of his sons’ assistance in vanquishing the demons.
After their task was completed successfully, Sage Vishwamitra received an invitation to the swayamvar of Raja Janak’s daughter, Janaki, Princess Sita in Mithila. He carried Shree Raam and Lakshmanji to Janakpur with him where they were welcomed by the king and his entourage. When Raja Janak saw the two princes he became totally absorbed in their Divine Presence. Once they were seated though he asked Sage Vishwamitra many questions about them. The sage explained their lineage and their recent victories and that they came to witness, if not to participate in the swayamvar. On receiving these answers, Raja Janak was quite comfortable with the princes.
Early the next morning, upon awakening, Sage Vishwamitra sent Shree Raam and Lakshmanji to the Royal Gardens to gather flowers for their puja. In accordance with the Devi Bhagwat Puraan, we must perform Dev yagya on a daily basis, our nitya karma. Shree Raam and Lakshmanji as representatives of perfect humans, did perform such worship as guided by the sages and their own Guru. At the same time, Sita, along with her friends, went to the palace gardens to pick flowers for their daily prayers at the Devi temple. There, she had prayed to Devi that she would make the right decision in choosing her future husband. There, they saw Shree Raam and Lakshmanji walking through the gardens and Seeta immediately decided that she wished that He should be her future husband. She returned to the temple and prayed to Devi about her decision. A voice emanated from the Devi murti, telling her that her desire would be granted.
Later, at the swayamvar gathering, hundreds were invited, including kings from distant regions, who hoped to forge an alliance with the powerful kingdom of Janakpur through marriage. The proclamation was made, that anyone who could string the mighty bow of Shankar qualified to be considered for marriage to Princess Sita. The bow was brought to the gathering by 500 men with great difficulty. The task had been set since Sita herself, as a child, was capable of lifting the bow with one hand. Sita Maa was dressed beautifully for the ceremony, and as resplendent as Devi Maa Herself.
As the competition began, it became evident that no one could even shake the bow, much less string it. Even the mighty Ravan and the powerful kings failed. On the advice of the sage, Shree Raam approached the bow. However, Raja Janak was angry that no one had yet been able to complete the task and he emitted hurtful words to the audience. Lakshmanji sprung up in a rage to defend his brother, the jewel of the solar race, and as He did so, the earth began to shake. Shree Raam calmed Him but as He stepped forward, Lakshmanji issued prayers to the four forces that sustain the earth so that it would remain steady when Shree Raam lifted the bow. Sita Maataa was in distress, wondering if He could achieve the task. She prayed to Devi and asked that She fulfil Her promise to Seeta. Then, Shree Raam not only lifted the bow but broke it in two; it emanated a sound vibration like thunder. Sita Maataa eventually garlanded Shree Raam as her choice for a husband.
The divine play of Brahm and Shakti, two Divine aspects of the same Reality, was thus enacted again, as it would for infinity. The Unitary Consciousness that underlies all existence and his Creative Power were united in marriage, thus fulfilling the promise of the Lord to manifest on earth, as necessary, in order to re-establish dharma and shelter His devotees from harm.
