Sita Asks Fire to Become Sandalwood Before Her Unbroken Refuge
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 108
Doha 110क · Movement 1 of 3
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Sita receives Rama's words upon her bowed head and speaks from purity of mind, action, and speech. She asks Lakshmana to serve as guardian of dharma and quickly prepare the fire.
Her words carry separation, discernment, righteousness, and moral order together. Lakshmana's eyes fill with tears. Hands joined, he cannot answer Rama, but the Lord's expression sends him to gather wood and kindle the blaze.
Vaidehi looks upon the powerful flames with joy and no fear. She addresses Fire, knower of every heart: if mind, word, and deed have held no refuge for me apart from Raghuvira, become cool as sandalwood. She does not argue her purity before the crowd. She enters the element that knows without testimony, placing body and reputation inside the truth of her one unwavering refuge.
Sita walks toward the blaze asking only that Fire reveal the refuge her heart has never left.
Read the passage from the Manas
प्रभु के बचन सीस धरि सीता। बोली मन क्रम बचन पुनीता।। लछिमन होहु धरम के नेगी। पावक प्रगट करहु तुम्ह बेगी।। सुनि लछिमन सीता कै बानी। बिरह बिबेक धरम निति सानी।। लोचन सजल जोरि कर दोऊ। प्रभु सन कछु कहि सकत न ओऊ।। देखि राम रुख लछिमन धाए। पावक प्रगटि काठ बहु लाए।। पावक प्रबल देखि बैदेही। हृदयँ हरष नहिं भय कछु तेही।। जौं मन बच क्रम मम उर माहीं। तजि रघुबीर आन गति नाहीं।। तौ कृसानु सब कै गति जाना। मो कहुँ होउ श्रीखंड समाना।।
Sita bowed her head to the Lord's words and spoke with pure mind, deed, and speech. She said to Lakshmana: 'Be the guardian of dharma and quickly kindle the fire.' Hearing Sita's words filled with separation, wisdom, dharma and righteousness, Lakshmana was moved. With tears in his eyes and hands joined together, he could not speak anything to his Lord. Seeing Rama's expression, Lakshmana rushed and kindled the fire, bringing much wood. Seeing the blazing fire, Vaidehi felt joy in her heart and had no fear at all. She prayed: 'If in my mind, word and deed, there is no refuge other than Raghuvira in my heart,' Then may this fire, which knows the truth of all, become cool as sandalwood for me.