On this auspicious Diwali, as lamps brighten homes, our thoughts turn to the Ramayana. In many traditions, the festival celebrates the return of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana to Ayodhya after exile and Ravana’s defeat. Their welcome reminds us that light is most meaningful when it reaches those waiting in darkness. Diwali is celebrated in different ways across India, yet its invitation to renew hope speaks to us all.
Today’s lesson takes us before that homecoming. Sita remains captive, Rama longs to reach her, and Hanuman carries between them a memory that is also a plea. What does love do when someone who trusts us is suffering? Sita’s recollection of a crow at Chitrakuta gives that question a voice.
Background
In this series, we draw lessons from the Ramayana for everyday choices and relationships. Having completed four books, we are now in the beautiful Sundara Kanda, where Hanuman’s courage shines alongside intelligence, humility and devotion.
In our last post, Hanuman brought Sita’s Chudamani to Rama. Pressing it to his heart, Rama wept as it awakened memories of Sita and their marriage. We learnt that a cherished object can carry a loved one’s presence, and that tears do not diminish strength. Rama then asked Hanuman to repeat Sita’s words. The story continues with the memory she sent him.
Introduction
Some memories belong so completely to two people that recalling them bridges distance. A private moment or an old act of care says, “I remember who we were together.” Memory can also remind us of a promise made through actions.
Sita’s recollection assures Rama that Hanuman truly met her. It also recalls his readiness to protect her at Chitrakuta and asks him to answer her present suffering. She speaks as a courageous woman who remembers, questions and calls for action.
The Story
At Rama’s request, Hanuman recounts Sita’s words. They return to Chitrakuta, where Rama once slept with his head on Sita’s lap. A crow repeatedly attacked and injured her. When Rama awoke and saw her hurt, he looked for the cause and saw the bird.
Angered, Rama charged a blade of darbha grass with the power of the Brahmastra and released it towards the crow. The bird fled, seeking protection, but found no refuge among the gods and sages. At last it returned to Rama and sought shelter at his feet.
Rama had acted fiercely to protect Sita, yet he did not refuse the crow refuge. Because the released weapon could not be made fruitless, it struck the bird’s right eye; its life was spared. The episode holds consequence and mercy together. The injury is real, and the severity of the response invites reflection.
Why does Sita recall this incident from the Ashoka grove? It is a private sign Rama can recognise. But her message reaches further. She remembers his response when a crow injured her and asks why he has not yet acted against the Rakshasas holding her captive. Her question carries faith in his strength and anguish at their separation.
Through Hanuman, Sita asks Rama, Lakshmana and their allies to come to Lanka. Her memory is not an escape into happier days; it calls for protection and companionship in the present.
Hanuman carries her words and their pain. He has reassured Sita that Rama will come; now he helps Rama understand what her waiting feels like. Across the ocean travel a shared memory, a difficult question and a plea not to delay.
Lessons Learnt
The first lesson is that shared memories preserve trust. Sita chooses an incident familiar to Rama. Its details authenticate her message and recall their life together. Remembered kindness can sustain connection through distance and uncertainty.
The second lesson is that love must respond to suffering. Rama does not dismiss Sita’s injury because its source appears small. We need not imitate his force to understand the invitation: take distress seriously, listen before minimising it and offer help suited to the harm.
The third lesson is to listen beneath the words. Sita’s recollection asks, in effect: “You cared for me then; will you come to me now?” People who feel abandoned may express hurt through questions or memories. Defensiveness closes doors; attentive listening reveals needs.
This matters when help has been delayed for reasons the suffering person cannot see. Rama’s search has taken time; Sita has endured that time without knowing when it will end. Her question deserves neither dismissal nor blame. We can acknowledge another person’s fear while explaining honestly what we are doing, what remains uncertain and when we will act. Reassurance becomes credible when followed by dependable effort.
The fourth lesson is to hold power and mercy together. Rama protects Sita and grants the crow refuge, though the bird loses an eye. The episode invites us to consider both stopping harm and showing restraint. In our lives, consequences should be fair and proportionate, never an excuse for cruelty.
The fifth lesson is to use strength responsibly. Possessing power is not a reason to use the greatest force available. Whether our authority is in a family, workplace or community, we should protect the vulnerable while avoiding unnecessary harm. Greater power brings a greater duty of judgment.
Finally, compassion must move beyond remembrance. A message and a promise can bring hope, but cannot free Sita. We honour relationships not only by recalling what we once did, but by responding to what is needed now.
Conclusion
On Diwali, we celebrate the light of Rama’s eventual return. Sita’s words remind us of the waiting and suffering that came before that homecoming. They ask us to carry the festival’s light beyond our doorsteps: into the life of someone who needs to be heard, protected or supported. May our affection become attentive, our strength compassionate and our promises visible in action. Wishing everyone a blessed and meaningful Diwali.
In the next post, we will explore Hanuman’s reassurance to Sita and the question of how Rama and the Vanaras can cross the ocean to reach her.
This Diwali also brings a special opportunity to experience the epic on the big screen. Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part One, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita, brings this treasured story to a new generation through the ambition of cinema, its artists and its visual imagination. It invites families to encounter familiar characters together and begin conversations about the values they represent. Do watch this epic film with your loved ones, and let its story inspire you to return to the Ramayana itself.
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