SRI RAGHAVENDRA SWAMY’S
SRI RAMACHARITRYA MANJARI
(ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಘವೆಂದ್ರ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ವಿರಚಿತ “ಶ್ರೀ
ರಾಮಚಾರಿತ್ರ್ಯ ಮಂಜರಿ”)
First sight of Seetha Devi/ಸೀತಾದೇವಿಯ ಪ್ರಥಮ ದರ್ಶನ
Lord Hanumantha saluted Seetha Devi and Srirama in his
heart and mind before entering Ashokavana, where all types fruits and flowers
throughout the year and through all the four seasons. The entire garden was draped
in red color of the Ashoka flowers. A river that gushes out from the tip of
Mount Trikoota, flows through the middle of Ashoka forests. The air blows
pleasantly at a very pleasing speed across Ashokavana. Hanumantha noticed a
sprawling Ashoka tree in that Ashokavana under which he finally saw Seetha
Devi. Hanumantha climbed that Ashoka tree and slowly moved on to a branch of
that tree under which Seetha Devi was sitting. Hanumantha knew that the woman
sitting under the Ashoka tree was not Seetha Devi but Vedavati in the guise of
Seetha Devi. Vedavati was pretending to be unhappy. Although pure within, she
was projecting herself to be dust-covered and forlorn. Hanumantha started comparing
the physical features of the woman sitting under the Ashoka tree with the
features of Seetha Devi mentioned by Srirama. In reality, Seetha Devi had been
replaced by Vedavati just before Ravana arrived at the Ashram to abduct Seetha
Devi. Hanumantha pondered over all these aspects and hid himself in a bush of
leaves of that branch under which Vedavati was sitting in the guise of Seetha
Devi. The female demons, who had been assigned the duty of keeping a vigil on
Seetha Devi, surrounded her and were forcing Seetha Devi to forget Srirama and
accept Ravana as her husband. Those female demons were awkwardly shaped, ugly
looking and their structures were abnormal.
Hanumantha was still waiting on the tree and planning
his next move.
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