Free Sita's Ascent by Vayu Naidu Page B

would know what really happened to me or
     be able to tell my story.
    ‘He had gone away from the
     palace for some months to test a new range of deadly weapons. I prayed in secret. I
     prayed and prayed that someone should teach him such a lesson that—if he
     lived—he would never forget.
    ‘As the days passed I grew
     afraid that there was nothing in the world that could defeat him; when even the gods
     were afraid, what chance did any animal or human have?
    ‘Then it struck me like a
     thunderbolt! I prayed that a goddess be born on earth as a woman, and that she
     should defeat him. I prayed on behalf of all womankind.
    ‘By now, I was so disgusted by
     the thoughts I was thinking, I wanted to finish myself. So I drank the blood
     mixture. Nothing happened.
    ‘Meanwhile, I think the wishes
     of the holy man, who had prayed that Lakshmi be born on earth, came true. I heard,
     across the ocean, in the kingdom of Mithila, King Janaka was ploughing a field. He
     saw something glistening in the distance. As he approached the spot he noticed a
     crystal cradle that was wedged between the furrows of the earth, and there was a
     baby girl in it. She looked radiant.He held the child close to
     his face as if she were an answer to a long-forgotten prayer and took her home to
     his queen. As she was found in the furrows of the earth, the child was named
     Sita.
    ‘All this happened in the
     flash of an instant when Lakshmi vanished from Devaloka, when Narada cursed the maid
     of honour, when there was a
Twaannngh
that sounded like
     it came from a cloudburst. Lakshmi had fulfilled a poor holy man’s prayer
     that she be born as a human on earth. The devas, viewing this sight from Devaloka,
     sighed with relief.
    ‘The following years I sent
     out various spirits and spies to feed me with the hope that such a woman had indeed
     been born. They gave me news and I found hope.’

    Sita was loved dearly by her royal
     parents. As she was an only child, Urmilla was adopted as her sister. Sita was quick
     to make friends, and she treated them as her equals. She would have bouts of fiery
     temper, especially if someone had been deceitful. But she had a quick wit, a sense
     of humour that endeared her to everyone because she could bend any sorrow with a
     lightness of word or touch, without being insensitive or careless. Her nature was
     fed by fire. She had an unquenchable desire to live, and celebrate life in all its
     tints and hues.
    King Janaka had a prosperous kingdom
     that rivalled Dasaratha’s. But it was not as vast as Kosala, which had a
     natural gift of three rivers flowing around it, making it extremely fertile. Mithila
     depended on trade with other kingdoms and also knew the significance of strong
     regional relationships, rather than standing apart in isolation. This enabled the
     citizens of Mithila to feel safe. A healthy economy and a sense of security often
     make people feel they can take time out on holidays, or spend time planning
     elaborate rituals, like naming ceremonies for babies, ceremonies on becoming a
     teenager, or just travelling and enjoying the countryside away from life in
     court.
    Janaka insisted on holidays for three
     reasons. Firstly, it connected people who lived and worked at court to experience
     the pace of rural life; secondly, it enabled courtiers to discover the requirements
     of villagers in an unofficial capacity. The third reason was that while on holiday,
     one could plan for the future. For Janaka, holidays helped him think clearly, away
     from the pressures of a daily schedule of meetings. It was sheer joy being in the
     company of his wife, his daughter, Sita, and their friends.
    Janaka had an orchard with fruit trees
     at the back of the holiday resort palace. He kept a limited number of servants
     there; this enabled him to be himself and prepare for his final ashrama, that is,
     retirement, when he would have to do the daily chores himself.
    He would pray to Shiva with a