SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI
(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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