As we embark on the beginning of a new age of Sanatan Dharma, we seek answers to unanswered questions. Sanatan Dharma is neither a dogma nor organized on the premise of an unfaltering book, but rather is a quest, a eternal journey to understand ourselves and reality. The never ending seeking is therefore very much a part of our Dharma. Hence the ancients left much answered for future generations to continue to seek and experience findings answers from within.
And now, we come upon the subject at hand, that of Sita and Ram in the context of Shaivism. Although it is has been realized again and again, the deep connection between the Dharma of Sita-Ram and Uma-Maheshwar is worth again exploring. To understand the deep connection, the oneness of the two, we must explore the stories of both.
Let us begin then with the story of Sati (feminization of Sat, truth/existence). In the beginning of the cycle of creation, Sati is born of Daksha Prajapati, one of the many sons of Brahma and progenitors of mankind. Daksha has many daughters, and Sati is one of them. Sati in intent on marrying none other than Shiva and eventually marries Him, much to her father's displeasure. Later on, Sati attends her father's yajna, uninvited, and when Shiva is insulted chooses to self-immolate. Shiva then descends there in a Bhairava form called Virabhadra to destroy the sacrifice of Daksha. The relics of Sati are later spread around the Indian subcontinent which later come to be known as Shakti Pithas (Centers of Energy). We now consider there to be 51 or 52 principal Shakti Pithas in existence (51 or 52 being the number of phenomes in Sanskrit, and Shakti being the primal divine energy that permeates and brings forth name and form of all things in existence).
Now, from that very holy land dotted with Shakti Pithas emerges the Lady Sita (literally sita = furrow). She is discovered as a baby by the ruler of Videha, King Janak, in a field. Sita then is an embodiment of the very Shakti that was dispersed across the land. Sita is Shakti. On the other hand, Ram descends through the holy fire into which Sati has chosen to self-immolate. In the story, the Deity of Fire, Agni, emerges from sacrificial fire conducted by King Dasharath and delivers the pudding (payasa) to feed his queens so they may bear children. From this, Ram is born. Ram, then, is the essence of the holy fire, the Divine Being who is invoked through Agni, the fire of consciousness in all beings. Ram descends from above, while Sita emerges from below.
The essence of Ram is Shiva, and the essence of Sita is Shakti. Ram is Shiva and Sita is Shakti.
There is only a singular eternal existence, which indeed is all existence. We understand it as the Divine encompassing of pure unfettered existence and its inseparable pure energy. These two then are emblematically represented and personified as the Divine Couple, the bipoles of Absolute Reality.
Today, as we begin the new Samvatsar, let us remember Sita-Ram and Uma-Maheshwar together.
Om Namah Shivaya.
Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, Vikram Samvat 2081 (Pingala)/Shaka 1946 (Krodhi)
