Sanctuary and Sita by Priya Narayan

Kanden, Kanden Sithayai   Kanden, Raghava
Andarum kaanatha  Lanka puriyile
Aravinda Vedhavai tara vandha Mathavai

I  saw, I Saw, I saw  Sita, Oh Raghava. 
In the city of Lanka which not even the  devas have seen,
I saw the mother, who was given by the Goddess Saraswathi,

-Arunachala Kavi Rayar


These lyrics taken from a popular Tamil krithi speak of  the moment that Lord Hanuman tells Sri Rama he has found Sita. He has found her deep in the forests of Lanka. Sita has been kidnapped by Ravan, the Evil King of (modern-day Sri) Lanka, and has held her hostage. Obsessed with her beauty, even though she belongs to another man, he must have her. She wards off his constant advances and rejects his love. How terrified she must have been, already in exile in the forest with Rama and Lakshman, and now kidnapped to a far off land as a hostage. How did she endure? Where did she find peace? What was her sanctuary? 

We look at these characters of the Ramayana as god-like. How Rama is the ideal son and husband. How Sita is the best woman, wife. Hanuman, a dear friend. Do these  characters provide a higher standard for mankind? Perhaps, but perhaps not.  So many aspects of these characters in the epic are idolized yet, we must remember they are in human form. They too seek a place to find peace. Their sanctuary. 

Today, given the pandemic, and the revolution brewing from Black Lives Matter, so many have been isolated, far from family and friends. There is so much pain and anger from the realization of a whole race being denied basic rights. So many are in hospitals recovering from the Coronavirus. So many are struggling to make ends meet. Where do we  find our Sanctuary? Does Sanctuary have to be a place? Can it be a feeling? I think that as many of us shelter in place and the numbers of Coronavirus continue to climb, the feeling of calm and peace are harder to feel. Much like Sita, nothing feels good, nothing feels right. How did Sita endure those long days? 

I imagine she found her sanctuary in Rama’s love for her. Regardless of where she was, the palace at Ayodhya, the forest in exile, or in Ravana’s palace, her sanctuary was always in Rama’s love. Her safety, peace, and calm resided in her heart, full of his love for her. While many of us are enduring a time like no other, where we are isolated, sad, and under attack, the meaning of sanctuary can seem complex. Sanctuary can be our homes, shelters... but Sanctuary can also be a feeling, our heart, or a hope that things will get better. With our community, family, and friends, I believe we can all rise out of these times as better humans, kinder, and compassionate.  In our Sanctuary together. 

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