Text 27] The Pastimes of Lord Ramacandra 79

na vai veda maha-bhaga
bhavan kima-vasarn gatah
tejo "nubhdvam sitaya
yena nito dasam imam

na—not; vai—indeed; veda—did know; mahd-bhaga—O greatly
fortunate one; bhavan—yourself; kdma-vasam—influenced by lusty
desires; gatah—having become; tejah—by influence; anubhdvam—as a
result of such influence; sitayah—of mother Sita; yena—by which;
nitah—brought into; dasém—condition; imém—like this (destruction).

TRANSLATION

O greatly fortunate one, you came under the influence of lusty
desires, and therefore you could not understand the influence of
mother Sita. Now, because of her curse, you have been reduced to
this state, having been killed by Lord Ramacandra.

PURPORT

Not only was mother Sita powerful, but any woman who follows in the
footsteps of mother Sita can also become similarly powerful. There are
many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we
find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sita is among them.
Mandodari, the wife of Ravana, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadi
was one of five exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great per-
sonalities like Brahma and Narada, a woman must follow the path of
such ideal women as Sita, Mandodari and Draupadi. By staying chaste
and faithful to her husband, a woman enriches herself with supernatural
power. It is a moral principle that one should not be influenced by lusty
desires for another’s wife. Matrvat para-daresu: an intelligent person
must look upon another’s wife as being like his mother. This is a moral
injunction from Canakya-sloka (10).

matrvat para-daresu
para-dravyesu lostravat

atmavat sarva-bhiitesu
yah pasyati sa panditah
