"I don't even want the Heavens Sita, if I cannot have You by My side. I may have broken the bow kept at the wedding, but I shall never break My wedding vows."
Love is a promise to walk through everything hand in hand. Whether it's the palace gardens...
Urmila ran through the corridors, shouting Her elder sister's name, in an attempt to look for Her.
It was Sita's 13th birthday. Soon She was going to be a teenager and no longer enveloped in the innocence of childhood.
She was growing up so fast, but would She lose Her innocence? Never.
Curiosity is the foundation of innocence and when one is young at heart, they never age. Sita was born with the purity and innocence which could even melt fire, considered the holiest element.
Urmila finally found Sita and They both reached the prayer room where Their parents stood waiting for Them.
Soon the worship and rituals began. And Sita participated delightfully and with full fervour. In between, as She stood admiring the beautiful idols at the temple, a question came to Her thoughts.
"Maa, are Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva not worshipped together?" She asked Her Mother, who stood on Her right.
Queen Sunayana laughed at the naive question. "Oh Sita! Who told You this? None of Their worship is complete without the other. Infact, They worship each other and are each other's dearest devotees. At the beginning of time, Lord Shiva had venerated Lord Vishnu as a King and pleased by His devotion and truth, He gave Him the boon that His worship shall be considered the same as His own. And legends say that in one of His avatars, Lord Vishnu would Himself ascend the throne as a King, born to a great warrior."
Sita's heart skipped a beat at the mention and somehow whenever She heard the word 'King', only one name popped up in Her mind.
Rama.
She could not imagine anyone else as the face of Lord Vishnu.
Whenever She closed Her eyes to pray, His face would always come to Her mind. She imagined Him as per the description She had heard about Him, although She never saw Him yet. Still She felt like He was so familiar and She knew Him even before this life. It felt like it was meant to be.
It felt like She was born to be with Him. She deeply and fully believed in this destiny, though She didn't mention Her inner feelings to anyone.
To anyone except the Shiva Dhanush, Pinaka.
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"Goddess Bhargavi, who was born as the Daughter of Rishi Bhrigu and His Wife Devi Khyati."
Sita would regularly take care of the Pinaka, and during Her personal time with the celestial bow, She discovered that the bow could speak.
Or it could speak only to Her, for only She seemed to hear it, or that seemed to Her that She could understand Its words. But whatever it was, She trusted the bow completely.
"Khyati, the Daughter of Prajapati Daksha, gave shelter to the demons in Her hermitage, including Her step son, Shukra, the Asura Guru, and son of Kavyamata. This angered Lord Vishnu, who had come to deliver the Earth from the sins of the demons. He asked Her to surrender Her sons but She denied, stating that He must face Her or kill Her first before going towards them."
Sita looked puzzled but sat patiently, waiting to hear further.
"Lord Vishnu was in a dilemma, because He could not kill a woman, especially one who was like His own mother. Then, Devi Khyati said that She had pledged to protect the demons with the last breath of this body, and if Dharma asks for it, then Lord Vishnu may take away Her breath and dispel Her body. Lord Vishnu then used His divine discus, the Sudarshan Chakra to take Her life force. Her lifeless body lay on the ground, and was discovered by Her Husband, Rishi Bhrigu. The demons were defeated by Lord Vishnu and righteousness was restored."
Sita brushed Her fingers along the carvings of the bow. She wondered if they too held hidden stories inside them, for they looked like letters from an unknown but dicine manuscript.
The bow continued, "However, Rishi Bhrigu was furious at the death of His Wife and accused Lord Vishnu of falsely murdering a woman. He cursed Him to be separated from His Wife and bear the same pain He felt. Now that His duty was done, Lord Vishnu resorted His Wife, Khyati to life. This calmed down Rishi Bhrigu and He felt remorse at His impulsive decision. He could not take back His curse but He added that despite the separation, He would unite with His Wife, and the separation would yield a better purpose for mankind."
Sita gasped at the conclusion. She couldn't believe that someone could curse the Lord.
The bow read Her thoughts and assured Her. "The law of karma spares no one, and even the curse would have it's effect on Rishi Bhrigu, for it gave rise to a cascade of future events, Princess Sita, as You shall hear now."
Sita knitted Her eyebrows and kept Her hands at Her side. "Please don't call Me Princess, or Devi. It makes Me…"
The bow cut Her off in between, "But You're a Princess! A Goddess! A born Queen! You can't deny or hide from the truth."
Sita looked down and blushed.
Rishi Bhrigu further gave His daughter, Bhargavi, in marriage to Lord Vishnu, because that was destined to be, and She was incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, who had forgotten Her past and had descended on the Earth, leaving behind Her abode. This way He amended for His mistake, and also got back His Wife. However, a comic event at the wedding further added to the chaos.
A huge procession set forward for the marriage of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Bhargavi. When Devarshi Narada asked Lord Vishnu how He looked after dressing up for the special fest, He told Him to ask one of the apsaras in the procession of the groom. He ran His fingers in mischievous magic and when Narada went to one of the celestial nymphs, She laughed at Him. He asked Her how He looked and She told Him that He looked like a monkey. Furious, He was about to curse Her but then She showed Him a mirror. He couldn't believe His eyes for His face now looked exactly like a monkey. It then occurred to Him that it was the mischief of the Lord. He heartily accepted the prank and also predicted that one day during one of His incarnations, He would need the help of monkeys to fulfil His purpose."
Karma was so strong, thrilling yet scary. Sita wondered what Her past karma was, and what would it's effects be on Her future.
Could it mean taking on a different path and roles?
Would She too be separated from Her future Husband?
It sent a chill down Her spine.
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।। श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम ।। ।। जय श्री सियाराम ।। ।। जय बोलो श्री राम लक्ष्मण जानकी जय बोलो श्री राम भक्त हनुमान जी की ।।
