(An intriguing question about Seetha Swayamvara has been clarified in
this episode. The interpretation and exploration of the second stanza in this
great work of Sri Raghavendra Swami will begin from next episode. Please read,
comment and share. SDN)
A question may arise over the marriage of Seetha Devi with Rama, if
they are both considered as incarnation of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. It
is acceptable to arrange Swayamvara for an unmarried girl. But, is it
acceptable to arrange Swayamvara for a married woman as Seetha is believed to
be an incarnation of goddess Lakshmi? Does organising Swayamvara for a married
woman not mean that her hitherto-husband is unworthy? Does not marrying her
with another person amount to providing her with a platform for prostitution?
Sri Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya by Sri Madhwacharya provides
clarification to such unceremonious queries.
King Janaka was aware that Seetha was an incarnation of Lakshmi and she
was the consort of Sri Narayana. He had also decided to marry Seetha to Sri
Rama, who was an incarnation of Lord Narayana or Lord Vishnu. But, several unworthy
and insane persons had an eye on Seetha Devi. Therefore, there was an urgent
need to immediately deplore and insult those unworthy persons on the one hand
and on the other, there was a need to re-establish the supremacy and omnipotence
of Lord Hari. That is why King Janaka organised the Swayamvara and put forth
such a test to all the aspirants that they could not dream of passing that
test. Everything spanned out as per the plan. The Seetha Swayamvara was not
organised with an ulterior intent of marrying her off with any other person.
The case of Swayamvara organised for Rukmini was entirely different
from Seetha Swayamvara. Rukmini Swayamvara was organised by her brother Rukmi,
much against the desire of her father Bheeshmaka and others. King Bheeshmaka,
who was a devotee of Lord Krishna, and a few others, were unwilling to organise
Rukumini Swayamvara. However, they committed the sin of not preventing Rukmi
from organising the Swayamvara and therefore they deserved punishment. Sri
Krishna goes to Kundineepur, where King Bheeshmaka was the ruler, makes King
Bheeshmaka promise to marry off Rukmini to Krishna and returned to his abode.
All
these explanations and stories or instances are hidden but clearly indicated in
the first stanza of Sri Ramacharitrya Manjari, says Sri Lakshminarayanacharyaru
in his commentary. Sri Lakshminarayanacharyaru uses “ityAdi kaThA” in his
treatise, where the word “ItyAdi” refers to all the stories and perceptions
that have been discussed here. 
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