Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

Sita’s body is lightning and her garments resemble a cloud;
Dark Shyam’s body is the cloud and his clothing possesses lightning’s radiance.
Sita appears a lovely blue lotus, an embodiment of noble character;
The connoisseur’s eyes are more beautiful than crimson lotuses.
The two sit upon a throne of colourful rasa and jewels, their combined beauty shining.
They smile gently, filled with delight and intoxicated by the understanding of love.
Wisdom may search through all three worlds and find no other vision like it:
Such is the exquisite, excellent sight of Raghava and Sita.

The fair-and-dark youthful Couple are steeped in affection,
Their graceful arms held tightly about one another’s lovely necks.
Filled with enthusiasm for amorous play and intoxicated by each other’s beauty,
They plunder bliss while every hair shines in delight.
Their rolling eyes move back and forth in play;
Drunk and coloured by rasa, they laugh as they gaze upon one another.
The two moons Raghunandan and Sita, roots of bliss,
Remain forever dwelling in the lotus of my heart.

Sītārāma-saṃyoga-padāvalī

Supreme devotee Sri Baijnath Kurmi

Sri Baijnath Ji is regarded as an exceptionally accomplished devotee of the Ramavat tradition. He wrote a commentary upon the Rāmacaritamānasa and explanatory renderings of all the works of Goswami Tulsidas Ji. He was himself a successful public narrator of the Mānasa.

A lithographed copy of Sītārāma-saṃyoga-padāvalī, printed on rough yellow paper in July 1880 CE at Munshi Naval Kishore’s press in Lucknow, has been obtained. It begins with auspicious songs celebrating Sri Janaki’s birth, followed by songs celebrating Sri Rama’s birth. A brief Rama narrative follows, then separate descriptions of the beauty of Rama and Sita. Their wedding is subsequently related with full detail and sweetness. Finally come songs describing many forms of adornment, recreation, and playful līlā of the Divine Couple, refined through direct experience and spiritual practice.

The women swing Sita as she swings.
In the radiant courtyard she shines within a lovely cradle fashioned from gold and set with gems.
Fine bracelets adorn her lotus hands and tiny anklets ring melodiously upon her feet.
Beholding the face that is an abode of beauty and treasury of bliss, her mother sacrifices herself again and again.