'I begged with him like a child; he did not listen. I appealed to his heart through my endearing words; he did not listen. I reasoned with him and reminded him of his duty that he owes to me, the affectionate wife that I am; he pacified me. I opened my heart and showed him how frail and tender it is, when it comes to the question of love that I have for him; he smiled my pleas away. I resorted to threats. I told him that I would drink poison, perform self-immolation or fall in a river! He is still not listening. On the contrary he is bent upon insisting that I remain here in the palace! Am I to sleep on the royal bed, when he rolls on dust? Would I be able to eat the delicacies of the palace when he survives on fruits, roots and leaves? Why doesn't he understand me? Why is he reminding me again and again of the dangers of the life in jungle? Is he not capable of protecting me?'
Anger rises in her now. But that anger is impelled by love. With the intention of securing his permission to accompany him. It has to be remembered that she is not arguing against his decision to serve the term of fourteen years in jungle, accepting the order of his parents. She is not disputing that at all. Not a single word is spoken on that decision. No. She cannot be found wanting in that respect. There are moments during the initial years of the exile when even the words of Rama do spill out with a tinge of remorse, in the presence of Lakshmana and Janaki. (And it is essential that I add here that this is only as far as Valmiki Ramayana is concerned. The personality of Rama is different in this respect, in Kamban.) But there never is a moment that she could be seen unhappy until the fateful day on which Ravana arrived.
"Remember that Sita is driven to the last extremity and therefore says this extreme thing too," says Srinivasa Sastriyar. He speaks of the threats of Sita; knowing fully well that the extremity has not yet been reached! See how firmly, even at this stage Rama refuses to listen to her. "Discouraged thus, the celebrated Sita (the princess of Mithila), for her part, fell a prey to anxiety, moistening the earth as it were with burning tears dropped from her eyes. In order, however, to divert her (from her resolve), the self-possessed Sri Rama (a scion of Kakutstha) for his part then pacified in many ways the said princess of Videha kingdom, who was overwhelmed with indignation (roused by love) and fell a brooding." (Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Canto XXIX, Sloka 23 and 24)
She is unable to control herself any further. And there occurs this Sloka that she utters to him. "Securing you as his son-in-law, O Rama, did my father, Janaka (descended in the line of the Videhas), the king of Mithila, recognise you to be a woman in the form of a man?" (Ibid, Canto XXX, Sloka 3)
She moves from threats to taunts. Sita has been blamed for these words by critics and devotees. But remember. Nobody is more devoted to Rama than her and nobody is qualified to blame her. Listen to her words with the heart, and show that so called sharp-intellect to the back seat. To recall Tagore again, "A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it."
Everyday logic is not to be applied to this moment. In fact, logic has no place, when love rules supreme!
'I begged with him like a child; he did not listen. I appealed to his heart through my endearing words; he did not listen. I reasoned with him and reminded him of his duty that he owes to me, the affectionate wife that I am; he pacified me. I opened my heart and showed him how frail and tender it is, when it comes to the question of love that I have for him; he smiled my pleas away. I resorted to threats. I told him that I would drink poison, perform self-immolation or fall in a river! He is still not listening. On the contrary he is bent upon insisting that I remain here in the palace! Am I to sleep on the royal bed, when he rolls on dust? Would I be able to eat the delicacies of the palace when he survives on fruits, roots and leaves? Why doesn't he understand me? Why is he reminding me again and again of the dangers of the life in jungle? Is he not capable of protecting me?'
She is unable to control herself any further. And there occurs this Sloka that she utters to him. "Securing you as his son-in-law, O Rama, did my father, Janaka (descended in the line of the Videhas), the king of Mithila, recognise you to be a woman in the form of a man?" (Ibid, Canto XXX, Sloka 3)
