The present study on Women in Epics is about Trijata who is bold and yet good. Trijata was a Rakshasi , daughter of Vibishana, and Ravana's niece. Ravana ordered her to guard his captive Sita, wife of Rama. Rakshasa ladies Tryakshi, Tristani, Ekapaada, Deerghajihva, Ajihava, Ekalochana were sitting around Sita and instigating Sita to marry Ravana, otherwise they may have to kill and eat her. Sita told that she never thought about another man except Rama in her mind and pleaded them to kill her to get relief from such agony.But Trijata only consoled her by telling a dream of good events for her reunion with Rama. Trijata though born in Rakshasa race has nothing of the domnaic elements in her nature, and so she is blessed with the vision of forthcoming events. Thus she declared victory to Rama and fall to Ravana , are certain to take plce. She set a warning to Ravana and other Rakshasas, to keep Sita safely before some disaster overtakes them. The righteousness has well infected in Vibishana's family through his wife Sarama and daughter Trijata . As Valmiki, a master of human nature knows it through and through,he took step by step of all woman characters in Ramayana. He recorded all happenings, conversations in length, including dreams, thinkings,predictions etc. Here, Trijata's role is seen in two cantos Sundara Kandam and Yuddha kandam of Srimad Valmiki Ramayanam.
Sundara Kandam
In SundaraKandam , Trijata's dream is explained in detail. Dreams are premonition of events,to pious persons who are spiritual in nature .Dream came true as Anjaneya then caused devastation by setting Lanka on fire and Ravana met his death after war with Rama.Trijata explaining her dream, as Rama and Sita in Lanka in a chariot is well described in this as
Ihopayadha kakusthaha seethaya saha baryaya /
Lakshmanena saha brathra vimane pushpake sthtitha /(sarga 27 sloka 18).
Trijata dreamt Rama in such a grandeur. "Like the great Brahma, presence, knowledge penance, reason, centre, cause and effect, with conch, chakra, mace, with broad eyes like broad lotus, with srivatsa, on his chest, Lord of heavens for ever, unconquerable, perennial, ever,present like vishnu, with all the above qualities , Shri Rama , scion of Raghu, with lotus eyes gave darshan to all." This shows Trijata was such a pious person and spiritually inclined than the rest of the ogresses. It is said that the only support was Trijata, as God-send to the poor Sita, with some good omens then that began to appear one by one. Trijata pointed out the auspicious sensations that Sita experiences at that moment, the twitching of her left eye , jerking in her left shoulder, left thigh, sliding of her robe from the waist. Added with that sudden outburst of pingala bird in melodious song gave confidence to Sita and provided as a turning point to her agony.
Yuddha Kandam
In Yuddha Kandam, Indrajit, once summoned the female demons who guarded Sita . Following his orders, the female-demons along with Trijata appeared before him. Then, the rejoiced Ravana said to them as Rama and Lakshmana have been killed by Indrajit. He asked to take Sita in Pushpaka the aeroplane and show her Rama and Lakshmana who were killed in battle. Then Sita free from anxiety, grief and expectation of reunion, will voluntarily seek refuge with him. Hearing these words of the cruel Ravana, they all replied, “Be it so” and went to where the Pushpaka chariot was. Thereafter, the female-demons brought the aerial car, Pushpaka as per the instructions of Ravana and carried it nearer to Sita who was staying in Ashoka-grove. Ravana arranged a proclamation to be made in Lanka announcing that Rama and Lakshmana had been slain by Indrajit in battle. Sita along with Trijata, transported by that plane, saw all the monkey-troops who had been slain. Sita saw the demons who were delighted at heart and monkeys disturbed with grief, standing round Rama and Lakshmana. Then, Sita beheld those two warriors Rama and Lakshmana lying unconscious on the ground on a bed of arrows, their limbs pierced with arrows, riddled with weapons. It is found that their armour shattered, their bows cast aside at a distance and their entire body transfixed by darts. Sita in grief, beholding Rama and Lakshmana lying in the dust, burst into sobs.Sita in tearful sorrow, believing their death, spoke as sooth sayers had prophesied that she should be never widowed and would bear sons. So the predictions would never be untrue. with grief the following words.Then Trijata said that Sita's conduct and natural gaiety caused a place in her heart. She reassured as both Rama and lakshmana are not dead. They are not to be killed even by celestials and demons . Sita, however said as 'May it be so' and returned with trijata in pushpaka to Ashoka grove.
Pingalaika bird
Vanjula (Pingalika ) bird is one what Trijata ,tells her dream that such a bird is nestling in the top branches of Simsupa tree ,breaks forth into melodious song and goes on repeating the strains. The bird rejoices in extending warm welcome to Rama, as "Suswagatham Vachamudhirayana" . This just represents a preceptor, as Acharya, a messenger of the lord. It is to be taken as like the two wings of the bird, Acharya has two wings of ripe spritual wisdom and steady abidance by righteousness. Just as the bird has nest on the branch of a tree, Acharya has various branches of vedic scriptures, and veda vedangam (Upanishads ) to provide restful shelters. As bird is contended and happy without any desires and free from worries, Acharya also feel satisfied with what he got. Acharya has glorious vision and delghtfull recitation of God's names. The entire later part of the arrival of Hanuman who is fully qualified by scholorship , spintful experience , devotional ardour and righteousness conduct to locate Sita to relieve her grief is thus indicated through the bird's voice felt by Trijata in her dream , is really excellent feature in this episode.
Temple in this connection
In this connection it can be said that the episode of Trijadai swapnam , as found in Sundara kandam sarga27, is associated with a unique pasture of Lord Rama in Archa swaroopam in Ponpathirkuttam village, just 13 km from chengalpattu town. There, it is splendid darshan of HIM with two arms with Sangam and Chakram and the other two arms with Chin muthras of Abhaya and Varadha.Moolasthanam here is a rare unique, showing Sita and Rama together who constitute supreme phenomenon. They form an inseparable unit. They cohere so close that it is impossible to separate one from the other. The grateful beneficiaries, who notice sita seated beside Sri Rama on the same pedestal offer worship to both with equal diligence and devotional favor. Sri Kothandaramar and Sri Sita devi idols with Lakshmana in standing pasture, close to the divine couple and Anjaneya with his mouth closed by his hands in full humbleness before them is the rarest position in any shrine in this country.( Rama in chaturbujam is seen in Balakandam 18 . 10, Kishkinda kandam 3.14, Yuddha kandam 114.15, also ).All Bakthas of Rama may please visit this village and worship HIM.
The character of Trijata is turning point in Sita ’s life, giving high hopes for future peaceful living with beautiful narration of Rama’a image, and also tells great philosophy about the preceptors .
The next topic is about Mantharai
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