Text 11] The Pastimes of Lord Ramacandra 39

raksah-adhamena—by the most wicked among Raksasas, Ravana;
urka-vat—like a tiger; vipine—in the forest; asamaksam—unprotected;
vaideha-raja-duhitari—by this condition of mother Sita, the daugh-
ter of the King of Videha; apaydpitayam—having been kidnapped;
bhratra—with His brother; vane—in the forest; krpana-vat—as if a
very distressed person; priyaya—by his dear wife; viywktah—sepa-
rated; stri-sariginadm—of persons attracted to or connected with women;
gatim—destination; iti—thus; prathayan—giving an example;
cacdra —wandered.

TRANSLATION

When Ramacandra entered the forest and Laksmana was also ab-
sent, the worst of the Raksasas, Ravana, kidnapped Sitadevi, the
daughter of the King of Videha, just as a tiger seizes unprotected
sheep when the shepherd is absent. Then Lord Ramacandra wan-
dered in the forest with His brother Laksmana as if very much dis-
tressed due to separation from His wife. Thus He showed by His
personal example the condition of a person attached to women.

PURPORT

In this verse the words stri-sariginamh gatim iti indicate that the condi-
tion of a person attached to women was shown by the Lord Himself. Ac-
cording to moral instructions, grhe ndrim vivarjayet: when one goes on a
tour, one should not bring his wife. Formerly men used to travel without
conveyances, but still, as far as possible, when one leaves home one
should not take his wife with him, especially if one is in such a condition
as Lord Ramacandra when banished by the order of His father. Whether
in the forest or at home, if one is attached to women this attachment is al-
ways troublesome, as shown by the Supreme Personality of Godhead by
His personal example.

Of course, this is the material side of stri-sangi, but the situation of
Lord Ramacandra is spiritual, for He does not belong to the material
world. Ndéraéyanah paro ’vyaktat: Narayana is beyond the material cre-
ation. Because He is the creator of the material world, He is not subject to
the conditions of the material world. The separation of Lord Ramacandra
from Sita is spiritually understood as vipralambha, which is an activity
of the hladini potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead belonging
