The First Sight and Fight of Love
Lakshmana and Rama walked into the streets alone and explored the city after excusing themselves from the sage. Girls from the city saw the beautiful men and gossiped. Some said that the dark one was good for Sita and giggled amongst one another. The weapons which they wore outshined their clothes, the pearls and accessories on their dresses showed they did not come from an ordinary home, and the masculine vein popping looks of Rama and Lasksmana gave them plenty of attention to say the least. Later in the day they fell asleep in The Meadow of Sports. It was a tournament field which was considered only the place of ladies because Sita visited that place often. The two brothers bathed in a stream, and they plucked flower's near the Kings beautiful palace and lake. Princess Sita happened to be walking in the garden with her maids. The maid told Sita about the youths and Rama knew by the jingle of Sitas bangles that she would be the one he would love eternally. He knew before he even saw her, by her mere presence that she was the one. Sita saw Rama there for the first time. She prayed for the prince at the temple of Lakshmi and flowers fell into her hands representing the fact that her wish was granted. Sita was delighted knowing her wish was granted. She did rituals at home and Rama was restless all night as well.
Vishwamitra then introduced the men to King Janaka. Janaka took God Shiva's bow and said whoever can bend this bow can marry Sita. Sita was no ordinary woman. She was The Goddess of the Earth. Rama stepped up and snapped the bow in the middle. King Janaka was impressed and was ready to marry the two. He sent messengers for Rama and Sita's marriage. Just then an old hermit named Parashurama arrived at the scene. He was a tall and bulky man with a bow in one hand and an axe over his shoulder. He was described as below:
His body was bare except for a yellow deerskin cloth about his loins. It had cheetah stripes on it. On his brow were marked three white lines that showed he worshipped the God Shiva. He looked to see if Rama had the same lines His hair was twisted in a knot and he did not have a smile in sight.
Parashurama was incredibly mad because someone broke the bow. Lakshmana was almost killed because he called the bow old and made fun of it. He further joked when the old man threatened of killing Lakshmana. Rama cooled the hermit Parashurama down.The hermit gave Rama the bow of Vishnu and it wrapped in Rama's hand as soon as it was in Rama's hands. The hermit was in awe. This was the moment Rama was truly recognized as Vishnu. He gave Rama and Sita his blessings for the marriage. The village was filled with rituals, ceremonies of the marriage, and high emotions. The villagers smiled as they brought goods for Rama and Sita as gifts. Many of them brought home-made dishes. The palace was filled with roses and the stairs were covered with red roses. Outside of the palace lights filled up the entire neighborhood. Rama and Sita had finally gotten married. Rama's brothers found themselves brides as well. This is the beginning of the story that has lasted up until today and will continue on forever. This story of love, pain, and hardship is one that we will explore as the storybook goes on in the future. The story of God Vishnu and his Goddess Laxmi.
Author's Note:
This is a story of how Rama and Sita met. Rama and Sita are meant to be a symbol of divine and pure love. Infact, they both represent Gods. They are figures of devotion in Hindu culture. This chapter is just the beginning of a long journey that Rama and Sita embark on. It shows how Rama was willing to fight for Sita and the support he had from her. This love and support will last a long journey. Rama and Sita are very respected in Indian culture and actually worshipped. It is one that will be followed and learned from as an example for generations to come. So, it shows how important their story is to Indian culture. The story above is not originally written or produced by me. I am simply recreating it in my own words. I really liked their story because it was unique, and I had heard their names before. However, I was not aware who they were or what their story was. I also did not know why everyone revered Vishnu and Laxmi, or Rama and Sita so much until I read about them. I also did not know that Rama and Laxmi were a symbol of love before this and that they were connected with one another. Not only were they symbolizing love, but rather divine love as God Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi. I hope you enjoyed reading it. :)
Bibliography:
Laura, Gibbs. Reading Part A: King Dasharatha. Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/search/label/PDE%20Ramayana