||om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 29

Tattvadipika
Good omens

In the earlier Sargas thinking of Rama and Lakshmana -
'रामानुजं लक्ष्मणपूर्वजं" ,
Sita blames herself as the cause of the separation from Rama.
And unable to bear the sorrow and in desperation,
Sita says she was ready to go to Yama - "यमस्य मूलं"

For a tormented soul there are two protectors.
Bhagavan and the Teacher.
When separated from both, with no ostensible support ,
the Jiva will be devastated.
Sita is also in a similar position.
For Sita Rama and Lakshmana are the Bhagavan and the teacher.

Portending that Sita will come out of her sorrows,
the poet says in the very first sloka of this Sarga -
'शुभां निमित्तानि शुभानि भेजिरे'
thus describing the good omens.

What are those good omens?
That is "वाममरालपक्ष्म", her left eye was quivering,
" वाम भुजश्च", her left shoulder which rested in the arms of Rama too was quivering,
Her left thigh too was quivering. .
The golden colored Saree too slipped , just a little from her shoulder.
With these omens she felt as though,
"रामं पुरस्तात् स्थितं अचक्षे"
Rama was standing in front of her .

These omens were in vogue having been declared as such by people who knew.
Poet describes that Sita, feeling a bit relieved, was looking like
the full moon who who came out of his encounter with Rahu.

This is the poet telling us that the sorrows of Sita are ending.
Hanuman has seen Sita's sorrow,
he has heard the threats of Rakshasa women,
he heard Trijata's dream.
The time is ripe for Hanuman to come out and reveal himself to Sita.

In Upanishads we keep hearing the dialog of the Teacher and the taught.
In all those dialogs the teacher tests the disciple,
tests to see if the one to be taught is in a fit condition to receive the teachings.
Only when he is sure of the readiness of the one being taught,
the teacher proceeds with his teachings.

The one being taught has to have five characterestics.

1 Belief in the goal to be achieved
2 Hunger for achieving that goal
3 Will to work for that goal
4 Patience to achieve that goal
5 Being free of jealousy

Desiring reunion only with Rama,
disregarding the temptations of wealth and pomp ,
Sita has been praying for Rama only,

1 She is ever focused on Rama.
Rejects all entreaties of Ravana and symbolically keeps a blade of grass between herself and Ravana.
She does not see anything including the Rakshasas in front of her.
She has only Rama on her mind.

2 Her sorrow does not see the end.
She has taken to fasting as well as sleeping on the floor to achieve her wish.
Thus She has the hunger for achieving her goal
This is the second characterestic.

3 Willing to give up life if she cannot attain Rama.
That is the third characteristic

4 When Hanuman sings the story of Rama,
she listens with rapt attention.
That is the fourth characteristic.

5 Thoughts about Rama having neglected her welfare did occur to her,
but such thoughts did not lead to her blaming Rama.
That is the fifth characteristic.

These five indicators tell us that Sita is still in a receptive state.
Like a disciple ready to hear the Guru, Sita is ready.

Thus it is also time for Hanuman to appear.

This what we hear in the twenty ninth Sarga.

Thus the twenty ninth Sarga comes to an end.

||Om tat sat||

|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||