Karma the Universal Force

The trip across the Ganga was long and cold.  I was confused by what was happening.  Sumantra sat in silence with his head down as he drove the chariot.  Lakshmana was turned away from me, hiding his face, but I could hear his faint sobs.  Something wasn't right.  We left this morning to go and meet someone.  I assumed I would just find hermits and give them my gifts.  I did not ask if there was a specific who, or why we needed to go.  Now it seemed I was to find out all too soon why we are taking this journey. 

I opened my mouth to call out to them but my stomach got caught in my throat.  I breathed in the crisp air and attempted to calm my nerves.  Again I raised my head to call out to them and ask what was wrong, but the fear of their response sent a chill down my spine, causing my jaw to shiver and making it impossible to speak.  I sat in silence trying to piece together the events, feelings and emotions.  "What's wrong?" I finally called out, breaking though the loud silence of the wind.

I could hear Lakshmana sob; he looked at me with tear-filled eyes but was too overcome by emotion to speak.  I looked into Sumantra's eyes and waited for his response.  There was again a long loud silence.  Then Sumantra answered looking off over the Ganga.  "Can you not tell the coldness of Earth, can you not feel the barrenness, nervousness and misery that we feel?"

I knew this feeling all too well.  I had been away from Rama for so long before the battle that the barrenness of Earth seemed to be all I could remember.  "Yes, I know that feeling well, it is the absence of Rama that causes you to feel this way. Don't worry, once we reach our destination we do not have to stay long before we go home."

Sumantra shook his head and turned it down away from my gaze.  "Destiny, my dear Sita, is inevitable.  You remember how I was angry when Rama was banished before, but I make no objections to this trip.  This is about fate."

 Immediately I could see the resolve in his eyes.  In my confusion I turned to Lakshmana looking for answers other than what I had just heard. "Lakshmana, what does he mean?  What is the truth here?  Whose destiny? Whose fate?"

Lakshmana turned and faced me with the truth ringing in his eyes "You are to be left here Sita, Rama is banned you away to protect his kingdom."

 It was at this point that my emotions took control.  I was not sure whether I was crying or yelling.  I could not tell up from down.  The world began to spin; I could not focus at all.

Lakshmana tried to keep me from falling and held me up.  Sumantra looked into my eyes, calming me and explaining how everything we see is life and how everything in life is connected.  I did not want to hear what he said, I wanted Rama.  I wanted to go home, but I knew we would not turn back now. 

 Sumantra then told the story of Dasaratha and Princess Kaikeyi.  It was a new story to me.  He explained that Princess Kaikeyi had been Dasaratha's chariot driver in battle.  Dasaratha was saved by Kaikeyi and she took care of him.  Dasaratha granted her the wishes she later used to banish Rama.  Vishnu killed a brahmin's wife, infuriating King Aja.  In his fury, he cursed Vishnu to be born on earth and parted from his wife.  It seemed as if Sumantra believed I was being parted from Rama to fulfill Vishnu's curse.  
It seemed to make things make sense and draw out more confusion all at the same time.  I tried desperately to focus and listen despite the brisk shivers throughout my body and the spinning world around me.  It seemed Sumantra was saying that I was being banished because of something Vishnu had done.  Or was he telling me Rama was Vishnu?

When he had finished his recount, I realized we had arrived at a forest. I could not speak.  I knew now he would ask me to leave the chariot and enter the forest, but I was still confused.

 "I only now have realized what this implied.  If you long to return to Rama you must go now." Sumantra was calm as he helped me off the boat.

I stood there barely holding my footing as the chariot left.  Sumantra seemed to have Lakshmana in a trance because he claimed he would not leave me even as he grew farther away. 

 
Analysis:

I have chosen this story to depict Karma in a universal form.  Karma does not end or begin in this lifetime.  Sumantra explains a lot about the universe and its connection.   Explaining how we are all one and that we cannot believe just what can be seen or touched.  This is very important to understand if we are going to fully grasp Karma. 

I attempted to do this by giving you Sita's feelings and thoughts on her exile in order to demonstrate how little we can see of Karma from the inside prospective.  Sita is only aware of what is going on in her present situation.  It is not until the story told by Sumantra that she can realize that Rama is Vishnu reincarnate.

Rama is fulfilling a punishment for the god Vishnu, also referred to as Narayana.  Vishnu was cursed to live life without his wife by Vasishtha because he killed the wife of an old brahmana.  Rama was the reincarnation of Vishnu and the Karma from his past life was being played out in this present one. 

Sita then carries out the cursed life because of the Karma of her husband Rama.  Past lives affect one's Karma, and by looking at how one story of a past life affects this story we can see how Karma works from one life to the next.

Bibliography:

Buck, William. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.

Image Information:

Sita as Independent Goddess
Website: The Shakti Sadhana Homepage
Weblink: http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/DEVI/sita.html

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