Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words

This page describes Sita’s ordeal which is the fourth part of chapter IX of the English translation of the Jain Ramayana, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. This Jain Ramayana contains the biographies of Rama, Lakshmana, Ravana, Naminatha, Harishena-cakravartin and Jaya-cakravartin: all included in the list of 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.

Then the son of Sumitrā, the lord of the Kapis and Bibhīṣaṇa, Hanūmat, Aṅgada and others together announced to Rāma: “The queen remains in a foreign country, separated now from you, especially unfortunate without, both boys. If you direct, master, we shall bring her here today. Otherwise, a virtuous wife, she will perish, abandoned by husband and sons.” Rāma considered a little: “How can Jānakī be brought here, when the severe censure of the people, though false, creates an obstacle? I know that Sītā is virtuous and she knows herself spotless. There is, no fear on the part of both to give and accept an ordeal, Let the queen undergo an ordeal before all the people and let me live again with her, pure.” Saying “Very well,” they had erected outside the city large, high pavilions and inside them rows of platforms. The kings, citizens, ministers, et cetera sat on them, and the Khecaras also, Bibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, et cetera.

Then at Rāma’s command the Lord of the Kapis himself went to Puṇḍarīkapura, bowed to Vaidehī, and said: “For you Rāma has sent the car Puṣpaka. Now get in it and come to Rāma’s presence.” She said: “Even now the pain from my abandonment in the forest is not allayed. Why then shall I go to Rāma again who would cause more pain?” He bowed again and said: “Do not be angry. Rāghava is seated on a platform with all the citizens and kings for your purification.” On this information Jānakī, who already longed for purification, got into the car and went to Ayodhyā.

When she arrived at the garden Māhendrodaya, she got out and was presented with a reception gift by Lakṣmaṇa who had come and the kings bowed to heir. Saumitri, seated in front with the kings, said, "Purify your own city and your own house by entering, queen.” Sītā said: “When my purification has been attained, I shall enter this city and house. Otherwise, friend, slander will not be suppressed at all.” Quickly the kings related this assertion of Sītā’s and Rāma himself came and spoke harshly to Vaidehī according to law. “If there was no pleasure with Daśāsya while you were staying in his house, undergo an ordeal before all the people for your purification.”

Sītā smiled and said: “No one else is wise except you, who without knowing any fault of mine had me abandoned in the forest. First you punished me; now you test me. You are clever, Kākutstha. Certainly, I am ready for that.” Embarrassed, Rāma said: “I know there is no fault of yours. This is said for escape from the fault invented by the people.”

Jānakī said: “I assent to the five ordeals.[1] I will enter a blazing fire, eat rice, mount the scales, drink the heated bath-water of gods, seize the ploughshare with my tongue. Say which is pleasing to you.”

Just then, standing in the air, Siddhārtha and Ṇārada, too, and all the people, having restrained the tumult, said, “Sir! Sir! Rāghava! Sītā is certainly a virtuous wife, a pattern of fidelity. Do not cause any doubt about it here.” Rāma said: “Oh, people! Is there no propriety in you? She has been injured in the past by you alone, inventing a fault. You say one thing; before, you said something different. But say nothing of that. How was she guilty then and virtuous now? There is nothing to prevent your ascribing a sin again. Therefore, let Sītā enter a blazing fire for proof.” Saying this, Rāma had a ditch dug three hundred cubits long and deep as two men and had it filled with sandal-fuel.

In the meantime Jayabhūṣaṇa, son of King Harivikrama, living in the north row of Vaitāḍhya, who had eight hundred wives, saw his wife Kiraṇamaṇḍalā asleep with his maternal uncle’s son, Hemaśikha. He banished (her) and took the vow himself at that time. She died and was born a Rākṣasī, Vidyuddaṃṣṭrā. At that time Jayabhūṣaṇa came to the suburbs of Ayodhyā and stood in pratimā and Vidyuddaṃṣṭrā tormented him. His omniscience developed and now the gods, Sunāsīra and others, came with the intention of celebrating his festival.

Having seen this (ditch) of Sītā’s, the gods explained to Śakra, “Sītā is going to enter the fire because of false censure of the people.” Hari ordered the infantry-general to attend Sītā and he himself held the sage’s omniscience-festival. At Rāma’s command the servants made the ditch blaze with sandal wood on all sides, so that it was hard on the eyes to look at it. When Rāma had seen it terrible with flames, he thought in his heart: “Alas! What is this very difficult thing now impending! She, a virtuous wife, will surely enter the fire unhesitatingly. Verily the course of an ordeal, like destiny, is difficult. Her exile with me, the kidnaping by Rāvaṇa, again the abandonment by me, and this also have been done by me.”

While Rāma was reflecting thus, Sītā stood near the fire, recalled the Omniscient, and made a truth-declaration: “O guardians of the universe and all the people, listen. If I desired any man except Rāma, may this fire burn me. Otherwise, may it have a, gentle touch like water.” Saying this, recalling the salutation to the Five, she gave a leap into the fire.

When she entered it, the fire was extinguished quickly and the ditch filled with clear water became a tank. Sītā was seated on a lion-throne on a lotus on top of the water, like Padmā, by the power of the gods, delighted by her character of a virtuous wife. The water looked like the water of the ocean with a whirlpool making a humming sound in some places, in some places a roaring sound, the sound of a drum in other places, and in others the noise paṭapaṭā; in some places the sound of dilidili, in others that of khalakhalā. The rising water of the tank, like that of the ocean with high waves, began to inundate even the large platforms. The Vidyādharas, again excited, flew up in the air and the people of the earth cried, “Save us, Sītā, virtuous wife!” Sītā turned, the high water back with her hands and by her power it became again the size of the tank. With close rows of blue lotuses, night-blooming white lotuses, red lotuses, and white lotuses, with a concert by bees excited by the fragrance, with an abundance of haṃsas, beautiful with jeweled stairs from the masses of waves crashing together, the tank appeared to have both banks paved with jewels.

Nārada and others danced, in the air, proclaiming Sītā’s virtue, and the gods, pleased, rained flowers on Sītā. “Hail to the virtue, hail to the glorious virtue of Rāmā’s wife,” was the people’s proclamation, instantly filling the space between heaven and earth. When they had seen their mother’s power, Lavaṇa and Aṅkuśa, delighted, went to her, swimming like haṃsas. Smelling their heads, Vaidehī seated them, one on each side, and they had the fine appearance of young elephants standing on the two banks of a river.

Saumitri, Śatrughna, Bhāmaṇḍala, Bibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva and others bowed to Vaidehi with devotion. Rāma also, having a very charming splendor, approached Sītā and, filled with remorse and shame, said, his hands folded: “O queen, pardon that I abandoned you in accordance with the wishes of the people who alleged a nonexistent sin because of their own character. You survived by your own power when you were abandoned in that forest with cruel wild animals; and there was this ordeal, too, but I did not command that. Pardoning me for all this, now get in Puṣpaka, go to the house, and be happy as before with me.”

Sītā said: “There is no fault of yours, nor of the people, nor of any one else, but of my past deeds. Afraid of actions which cause a whirlpool of such pain, I will take mendicancy which destroys them.” With these words Maithilī pulled out her hair with her own hand and handed it to Rāma, like the Lord Jina to Śakra. Kākutstha swooned at once and before he recovered, Sītā went to the presence of the monk Jayabhūṣaṇa. Muni Jayabhūṣaṇa, omniscient, initiated Maithilī properly, and placed her devoted to penance in the retinue of the chief-nun, Suprabhā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ten ordeals are usually given as standard. See Indian Wisdom (p. 226) and Balfour, s.v. For an elaborate discussion of the laws of ordeals, see the Yājñavalkya Smṛti, Bk. II, Chap. VII. There are 5 ordeals prescribed for the exoneration from an accusation, but they do not correspond with the five Sītā suggests. They are: the balance, the fire, the water, the poison, and the bath-water. The ordeal of the fire is quite different from Sītā’s. It consists of carrying a red-hot ball of fire in the hand protected by certain leaves. Taptamāṣa, lifting a weight of gold out of heated oil, and dharmādharma, drawing concealed images of virtue and vice out of a vessel filled with earth, are described in the commentaries to the Yājñavalkya Smṛti; and also the taṇḍula and phāla which Sītā offers to perform. The tenth ordeal, the tulasī, is not discussed.

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: