गोदावरीं प्रवेक्ष्यामि विना रामेण लक्ष्मण।
आबन्धिष्येऽथवा त्यक्ष्ये विषमे देहमात्मनः॥
पिबाम्यहं विषं तीक्ष्णं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्।
न त्वहं राघवादन्यं पदापि पुरुषं स्पृशे॥
godāvarīṁ pravekṣyāmi vinā rāmeṇa lakṣmaṇa
ābandhiṣye ’tha vā tyakṣye viṣame deham ātmanaḥ
pibāmy ahaṁ viṣaṁ tīkṣṇaṁ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam
na tv ahaṁ rāghavād anyaṁ padāpi puruṣaṁ spṛśe
godāvarīm = into Godāvarī; pravekṣyāmi = I will enter; vinā = without; rāmeṇa = Śrī Rāma; lakṣmaṇa = Lakṣmaṇa; ābandhiṣye = hang myself; atha vā = or; tyakṣye = I will give up; viṣame = from a precipice; deham = body; ātmanaḥ = my; pibāmi = will drink; aham = I; viṣam = poison; tīkṣṇam = terrible; pravekṣyāmi = I will enter; huta-aśanam = into fire; na = not; tu = but; aham = I; rāghavāt = than Rāghava; anyam = other; padā = with [my] feet; api = even; puruṣam = a male; spṛśe = will touch.
1 This is the fourth time we are coming across a suicide threat by a woman in the Rāmāyaṇa, the first being Kaikeyī’s, the second being Sītā-devī’s (when Lord Rāma refused to take her with Him to the forest), and the third being Śūrpaṇakhā’s (when she impelled Khara to attack Rāma). All of these threats resulted in calamities that could have been avoided had there been no such threats. Of course, Mother Sītā is playing the part of an ordinary woman here by speaking such things. This is to teach women that they should not allow their impulses to overcome them.
2 Viṣame actually means “from a tall place, like a precipice” according to Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: viṣame bhṛgv-ādi-viṣama-sthale pāteneti śeṣaḥ.
1 A pati-vratā woman is described as follows in Bṛhat Hārīta-smṛti 8.198 as quoted by Śrī Govindarāja in his comment to Rāmāyaṇa 2.66.12—ārtārte mudite hṛṣṭā proṣite malinā kṛśā / mṛte mriyeta yā patyau sā strī jñeyā pati-vratā: “A woman who is distressed when her husband is distressed, who is happy when he is happy, who keeps herself unattractive or emaciated when he has gone out of station and who dies when he dies is to be known as a pati-vratā.” The pati-vratā who cannot be overcome by a male other than her own husband has to be a dhārmika woman and that is clear from the very first verse of the Kūrma Purāṇa quotation which will follow. These excerpts from the Kūrma Purāṇa were from Chapter 32 of the Kūrma Purāṇa manuscript that Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī had access to. In the edition of Kūrma Purāṇa published in Varanasi by All-India Kashiraj Trust in 1971, this excerpt appears as texts 2.33.111-117 and 2.33.125-135. Considering the usual variance in readings in books written prior to the era of printing, the verses quoted by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī match quite well with the verses in the Varanasi edition; we will point out variant readings in this regard in footnotes.
2 Kaimutyena indicates that if Sītā-devī could be untouched and undisturbed, any dhārmika pati-vratā female would be protected from the onslaught of others. This goes to show that Sītā-devī’s assumption of an illusory form was very well known among the learned in Vedic civilization since her non-kidnapping has been used as an example to teach an important lesson in dharma. While teaching, examples are only given of facts that are well known and undisputed within the circle of teachers and students.
3 The Varanasi edition has veṣam instead of veśam and kāminīm instead of bhāvinīm but the compilers note that these readings have been found in the manuscripts they used in in their research. The meaning is practically the same.
4 “That great means, who destroys all sins” refers to the household fire Āvasathya.
5 The Varanasi edition has doṣa instead of pāpa. The meaning is practically the same here also.
6 This worship is actually her worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Rāmacandra who resides in Agni as his Supersoul. In his commentary to Vedānta-sūtra 4.1.4, Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa points out that the apparent worship of various objects of worship recommended in the Vedic scriptures is actually worship of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu who exists in those objects of worship: chāndogyādau mano brahmety upāsīta ity ādīny upāsanāni śrūyante. tatra saṁśayaḥ: īśvaravat mana-ādāv ātma-dhīḥ kāryā na veti. mano brahmety abheda-pratīteḥ kāryeti prāpte. na pratīke na hi saḥ. na khalu pratīke mana-ādau tad-dhīḥ kāryā. hi yasmāt. pratīka īśvaro na bhavati. kintu tasyādhiṣṭhānam eveti. smṛtiś ca: khaṁ vāyum agniṁ salilaṁ mahīṁ ca jyotīṁṣi sattvāni diśo drumādīn / sarit samudrāṁś ca hareḥ śarīraṁ yat kiṁ ca bhūtaṁ praṇamed ananyaḥ ity-ādyā. tathā ca saptamy-arthe prathameyam iti siddhāntaḥ. The smṛti verse referred to here is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.41. The Vedic scriptures are only superficially polytheistic; in reality, there is nothing but monotheism all over the Vedas: vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. That this is the correct understanding of the above Kūrma Purāṇa verse is clear from the next verse beginning with iti vahniṁ.
7 The Varanasi edition has vahny-aṣṭakaṁ instead of vahniṁ pūjya but it notes that the latter is seen in their manuscripts. Vahny-aṣṭakaṁ indicates that Sītā-devī recited eight verses about Agni from which the first verse is quoted by Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī above.
8 The Varanasi edition has tejasā pradahann iva instead of tejasaiva dahann iva but it has the same meaning.
9 The Varanasi edition has vadhepsayā instead of vadhecchayā; the latter is found in its manuscript collection and the meaning is the exactly the same
10 The Varanasi edition has kṛtvātha instead of kṛtvā ca while noting that the latter has been found in their research. Needless to say, the meaning is the same.
11 Varanasi edition has vahner bhagavān instead of vahne bhagavan and recognizes vahne from its manuscripts. It has dagdhā and dṛṣṭā instead of dagdhvā and diṣṭyā respectively, but it recognizes dagdhvā. Vahner bhagavān indicates that the Lord of Agni spoke these words. Dṛṣṭā indicates Sītā-devī had come near Lord Rāma after He saw her. The reason for us going into these meticulous details is to emphasize that the incident concerning Māyā Sītā did take place as it has been very well recorded in Kūrma Purāṇa.
NOTE. This very statement by Śrī Sītā-devī, the mother of the universe, indicates that it was factually impossible for Rāvaṇa to even touch her, what to speak of kidnapping her. This fact is clear from Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha (177):
śrūyate ca kūrma-purāṇe dvātriṁśādhyāyasyānte pati-vratā-mātrasya parāt paribhavo na sambhavatīti kaimutyena śrī-sītā-devy-udāhṛtā.
And it is learnt from the final portion of Chapter 32 of Kūrma Purāṇa that no [dhārmika] pati-vratā lady can be overcome by any [male] other [than her husband].1 Śrī Sītā-devī has been referred to [in this regard] as a simple example [of this principle in action].2
pati-vratā dharma-parā rudrāṇy eva na saṁśayaḥ
nāsyāḥ parābhāvaṁ kartuṁ śaknotīha janaḥ kvacit
The Rudrāṇīs are undoubtedly pati-vratā ladies absorbed in dharma. No one can overcome such a lady in this world under any circumstance.
yathā rāmasya subhagā sītā trailoka-viśrutā
patnī dāśarather devī vijigye rākṣaseśvaram
For instance, the very fortunate Sītā-devī, the wife of Dāśarathi Rāma and well-known in the three worlds, surpassed the ruler of the rākṣasas.
rāmasya bhāryāṁ vimalāṁ rāvaṇo rākṣaseśvaraḥ
sītāṁ viśāla-nayanāṁ cakame kāla-coditaḥ
Impelled by the force of time, the ruler of the rākṣasas Rāvaṇa lusted after the wide-eyed Sītā, the spotless wife of Rāma.
gṛhītvā māyayā veśaṁ carantīṁ vijane vane
samāhartuṁ matiṁ cakre tāpasaḥ kila bhāvinīm3
Assuming the form of an ascetic by dint of his magical powers, he set his mind on kidnapping the beautiful lady wandering in the lonely forest.
vijñāyā sā ca tad-bhāvaṁ smṛtvā dāśarathiṁ patim
jagāma śaraṇaṁ vahnim āvasathyaṁ śuci-smitā
Recognizing his mentality, Sītā remembered her husband Dāśarathi with a pure smile and took shelter of the household fire Āvasathya.4
upatasthe mahā-yogaṁ sarva-pāpa-vināśanam5
kṛtāñjalī rāma-patnī sākṣāt patim ivācyutam
Rāma’s wife joined her palms in submission and worshipped that great means, who destroys all sins, just like her own husband Acyuta.
namasyāmi mahā-yogaṁ kṛtāntaṁ gahanaṁ param
dāhakaṁ sarva-bhūtānām īśānaṁ kāla-rūpiṇam
ity ādi
I worship the great means, the cause of death, the supreme mystery who burns up all creatures, the controller in the form of time . . . 6
iti vahniṁ pūjya japtvā rāma-patnī yaśasvinī7
dhyāyantī manasā tasthau rāmam unmīlitekṣaṇā
The illustrious wife of Lord Rāma thus recited these [eight verses of prayer] and worshipped Agni while meditating on Lord Rāma, and then stood with unblinking eyes.
athāvavasathyād bhagavān havya-vāho maheśvaraḥ
āvirāsīt sudīptātmā tejasaiva dahann iva8
Then the powerful great controller Agni appeared from the Āvasathya household fire. With a blazing body, he appeared to burn up [everything around him].
sṛṣṭvā māyāmayīṁ sītāṁ sa rāvaṇa-vadhecchayā9
sītām ādāya dharmiṣṭhāṁ pāvako ’ntaradhīyata
Desirous of having Rāvaṇa killed, Agni created a Māyā Sītā, took the [real] Sītā-devī who was supremely dhārmika and disappeared.
tāṁ dṛṣṭvā tādṛśīṁ sītāṁ rāvaṇo rākṣaseśvaraḥ
samādāya yayau laṅkāṁ sāgarāntara-saṁsthitām
Upon seeing her who resembled Sītā, the ruler of the rākṣasas Rāvaṇa took her and left for Laṅkā which was in the middle of an ocean.
kṛtvā ca rāvaṇa-vadhaṁ rāmo lakṣaṇa-saṁyutaḥ10
samādāyābhavat sītāṁ śaṅkākulita-mānasaḥ
After killing Rāvaṇa, Rāma along with Lakṣmaṇa took back [Māyā] Sītā [but] His mind was overwhelmed with apprehension.
sā pratyayāya bhūtānāṁ sītā māyāmayī punaḥ
viveśa pāvakaṁ dīptaṁ dadāha jvalano ’pi tām
To convince all living beings [that the original Sītā was immaculate in her chastity], that Māyā Sītā again entered the blazing fire and Agni burnt her up.
dagdhvā māyāmayīṁ sītāṁ bhagavān ugra-dīdhitiḥ
rāmāyādarśayat sītāṁ pāvako ’bhūt sura-priyaḥ
After burning Māyā Sītā, Agni, the powerful possessor of terrible rays, showed Rāma [the real] Sītā-devī. [Hence] Agni became dear to the devas.
pragṛhya bhartuś caraṇau karābhyāṁ sā sumadhyamā
cakāra praṇatiṁ bhūmau rāmāya janakātmajā
Holding her husband’s feet on her hands, the slender-waisted daughter of King Janaka offered obeisances to Lord Rāma on the ground.
dṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭa-manā rāmo vismayākula-locanaḥ
nanāma vahniṁ śirasā toṣayām āsa rāghavaḥ
Upon seeing [the real Sītā], Rāma’s mind became delighted and His eyes were filled with astonishment. Rāghava offered His obeisances to Agni with His head and satisfied him.
uvāca vahne bhagavan kim eṣā vara-varṇinī
dagdhvā bhagavatā pūrvaṁ diṣṭyā mat-pārśvam āgatā11
He asked, “Lord Agni, why was this lady of excellent complexion first burnt by Your Honor and then by My good luck has now come near Me?”
tam āha devo lokānāṁ dāhako havya-vāhanaḥ
yathā-vṛttaṁ dāśarathiṁ bhūtānām eva sannidhau
ity ādi
Then, in the presence of [all] the creatures [assembled there], Agnideva who burns up all the worlds told the son of King Daśaratha everything that had taken place . . .
evam agni-purāṇam api dṛśyam. tad evam api yat tu vālmīkinā nedaṁ spaṣṭīkṛtaṁ tat khalu karuṇa-rasa-poṣaṇārtham eveti gamyate. seyaṁ ca tasya paripāṭī kvacid anyenāpy upajīvyate iti jñeyaṁ.
The Agni Purāṇa can also be perused in this regard. It is thus inferred that even though this is the case [with the real Sītā and Māyā Sītā], the reason for Śrī Vālmīki not clarifying this matter is to nourish the mellow of compassion (karuṇa-rasa). It should be understood that sometimes others also follow his style [of writing].