Sita Finds a Thousand Ayodhyas in the Forest
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 140
Doha 140 · Movement 1 of 2
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Sita lives happily beside Ram, forgetting city, kin, and palace. She looks repeatedly upon her beloved's moonlike face, joyful as a young chakori before moonlight. As his love deepens day by day, her gladness rises like the chakravaka greeting morning.
Because her heart clings to Ram's feet, the forest becomes dearer than a thousand Ayodhyas. The leaf hut is precious because he is there. Deer and birds become family, sages and their wives become honored elders, and roots and fruit taste like nectar.
A grass bed beside her Lord gives the comfort of a hundred celestial couches. Sita's glance can confer sovereignty upon others, so worldly pleasure has no power to enchant her. She does not endure a diminished palace. Love reveals abundance in every humble form surrounding them.
Where Ram rests, Sita discovers palace, family, feast, and celestial bed within leaf, bird, fruit, and grass.
Read the passage from the Manas
राम संग सिय रहति सुखारी। पुर परिजन गृह सुरति बिसारी।। छिनु छिनु पिय बिधु बदनु निहारी। प्रमुदित मनहुँ चकोरकुमारी।। नाह नेहु नित बढ़त बिलोकी। हरषित रहति दिवस जिमि कोकी।। सिय मनु राम चरन अनुरागा। अवध सहस सम बनु प्रिय लागा।। परनकुटी प्रिय प्रियतम संगा। प्रिय परिवारु कुरंग बिहंगा।। सासु ससुर सम मुनितिय मुनिबर। असनु अमिअ सम कंद मूल फर।। नाथ साथ साँथरी सुहाई। मयन सयन सय सम सुखदाई।। लोकप होहिं बिलोकत जासू। तेहि कि मोहि सक बिषय बिलासू।।
Sita lived in joy beside Rama, all thought of city, kin, and home forgotten. Moment by moment she gazed at her beloved's moonlike face, radiant as a young chakori bird beholding the moon. Seeing her husband's love deepen day by day, she remained glad, like the chakravaka bird in the light of morning. Sita's heart clung to Rama's feet in devotion. The forest felt a thousand times dearer to her than Ayodhya. The leaf hut was precious, for her beloved was there. The deer and birds became her cherished family. The sage-wives and great sages served as mother-in-law and father-in-law. Roots, tubers, and wild fruit tasted to her like nectar. Beside her Lord, even a bed of grass was beautiful, bringing the comfort of a hundred celestial couches. She whose glance alone bestows sovereignty on men: how could mere worldly pleasures ever enchant her?