Then Mother Sita asked Sri Hanuman ji many questions: ‘How were Sri Rama and Lakshman-ji? Why had that Lord who was so tender-hearted become so cruel? Did he ever remember her? Would she ever see her Lord whose form was dark and his arms delicate?’ She was overcome with emotion and words failed her. Then she said: ‘Ah, my Lord, you have totally forgotten me!’
Then Sri Hanuman ji addressed her softly and respectfully. He spoke eloquently and his words were infused with the proper emotion and his language and words were appropriate. He began on a positive note, saying that the Lord and his brother were both doing well. Then he told her that Lord’s love for her was twice as great.’ Then he delivered the message of the lord to her: ‘Since their separation, his life had turned upside down and everything was going against him. He had no one to open his heart to, for there was none that could understand the chord of love that bound them, none could understand his agony of separation. The essence of his love was that his very soul abided in her.’
When Mother heard the message, she was drowned in the ecstasy of love and lost all outer consciousness.
Sri Hanuman ji again infused hope and courage in her. ‘Fix your mind on the Lord and shake off all faint-heartedness. The demon host is like so many moths; the arrows of the Lord are flames that will consume them.’
Then Sri Hanuman ji told Mother that Lord did not have any news about her, and that was why he had not come. Now that he would get the news, she would once again be quickly reunited with her Lord. Sri Hanuman ji said that he himself would take her across to the Lord, but as he had no such orders, he would not take her with him. Lord himself would come and after defeating all the demons, he would and rescue her.
If Sri Hanuman ji had the capability to kill Ravan and take Mother Sita across the ocean to her Lord, Mother herself was no less capable.
As a child in the palace of King Janak, she had picked up the great bow of Shiva easily. It took thousands to carry it. On her own, she could have beaten Ravan and destroyed Laṅka. But she did not do so. She wanted to present the power and glory of the Lord. Because she was kidnapped, she had to go back properly and honourably. Ravan could not touch her or harm her. Once, while in the forest, Sri Rama came upon a place where there was a pile of bones. He learnt that they were the bones of sadhus who had been killed by the demons. The Lord was filled with great anger and was ready to destroy all the demons. But mother calmed him down saying that there would be a proper occasion for him to kill them all.
Though Sri Hanuman ji told Mother that Lord would come with an army of monkeys and bears and rescue her, she was not fully convinced: The demons were so huge and heroic, were adept in warfare, and could resort to magic and trick them all. If all the monkeys in the army of the Lord were as puny as Sri Hanuman ji, then what could they do?
In answer to her doubt, Sri Hanuman ji revealed his natural form: colossal as a mountain of gold, terrible in battle, possessing great might and full of valour. This huge form was his natural form. He changed his form according to the needs and time and circumstances.
On seeing this, Mother Sita was consoled and felt fully confident. Sri Hanuman ji again resumed his diminutive appearance. He said: ‘Mother, monkeys have neither power nor intelligence. But by the power and glory of the Lord, even the tiniest snake can swallow the king of eagles.’
Mother felt gratified and contented at the words of Sri Hanuman ji, at his devotion, his humility and total submission to the Lord. And she blessed him: ‘May you become a repository of strength and virtue, a storehouse of good qualities, dear child. May you not be subject to old age or death, and may Lord shower his abundant grace on you.’
Sri Hanuman ji was utterly overwhelmed with emotion. Again and again,he bowed his head at Mother’s feet, and with joined palms, addressed her: ‘O Mother, now I have completed all that I had to do.’ In other words, there was nothing left for Sri Hanuman ji to attain – he had found Mother Sita, and she had given him her blessing. By the former, he had accomplished the mission that he had been sent on by the Lord; and by the he latter, all his spiritual goals and aspirations were fulfilled.
SOME OBSERVATIONS
Bad company and bad environment are often used as excuses by parents in defence of their delinquent child. Through the examples of Trijata and Vibhishan, we see that it is possible for one to live among bad elements without being influenced by them. Sri Ramakrishna tells us that we should be like a boat on the water, and not let the water get into the boat. In other words, we should live in the world without allowing worldliness to enter us.
Ramacharitamanas shows us that we can live in a world not conducive to the practice of good behaviour and spiritual discipline and yet keep to our sanatan dharma. When Sri Hanuman ji hears Vibhishan chanting the names of the Lord, he wonders how it was possible for a devotee to live among demons, in a world where Ravan was worshipped as the supreme, where everyone was inimical / opposed to sanatan dharma. Yet, in that world, Vibhishan practised sadhana. He was not tainted by the powerful influence of the other demons.
His daughter, too, had the qualities of her father. Though a demoness, she showed kindness to Mother Sita, supported her and consoled her. Thus, it was that Mother Sita says with joined palms to Trijata: ‘Mother, you are my only companion in my anguish and suffering.’
If Trijata by choice could keep to the practice of devotion, then we, living in much better conditions, have no excuse really to blame the social environment for our spiritual lapses.
Of course, one can say that Vibhishan had the boon that he would have devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord. We do not have any such boons. Perhaps because we have not asked the Lord for that. On the other hand, Vibhishan performed so much austerities and became eligible for a boon. He could have asked for anything, but he chose to ask for devotion.
The mind by nature is unstable, ever changing. It oscillates between the extremes of sorrow and joy. So it is not unusual for it to fall into depression when one is not careful or when outside circumstances become too oppressing. In extreme cases, one may find no possible solution to one’s problems, and becoming totally hopeless and helpless, one may contemplate suicide. In such a case, a powerful anti-depressant is required. There is nothing more effective than taking the names of Lord and recollecting his glories. These are rays of light to annihilate the gloom of spiritual darkness. We see how when Mother Sita thought to abandon her body, it was Ram Katha, the glories of the Lord, that brought a new life to her. One cannot over-emphasise the importance of going to satsang where we hear the glories of the Lord, to visit holy people (be they sadhus or just good householders), to listen to inspiring talks and messages. Today, we have the great advantage of the internet and to listen to discourses on Ramayan and Mahabharat or on the many topics in Vedanta is so easy. We have all the tools. We have but to use them.
Vedanta for Self-development 
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