Faith Column | June 26, 2025

Soorpanakha wanted to marry Lord Rama, and since He was unwilling to comply with her request, she was prepared to harm Sita. She saw Sita as the cause for Rama’s rejection of her. Ravana wanted Sita to be his, and since She was disinclined, he wanted to kill Rama, for he knew of Sita’s love for Rama. Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother, wanted to do his bit to bring Rama and Sita together, and he was saved. There is a message for us in this — worship both Lord Narayana and His Consort. To worship one without the other will yield only negative results, said M.A. Venkatakrishnan in a discourse. This message is seen clearly in the Kakasura episode, and Sri Vaishnava acharyas have explained this in their commentaries.

Kakasura, the demon in crow form, pecked at Sita’s breast and the wound began to bleed. Enraged at what Kakasura had done, Lord Rama picked up a blade of grass, and aimed it at Kakasura, intending it to work like Brahmastra. The arrow flew towards Kakasura, who fled to escape it. But, no matter where he went, the arrow followed him. Finally, exhausted, he came back to Rama and fell at His feet, and his life was spared. But since the arrow could not be kept from striking a target, the demon’s right eye was hit. This is all that we find in the Valmiki Ramayana. But Manavala Mamunigal, in his Srivachana Bhushanam, takes references from Paadma Purana, and says when Kakasura fell at Rama’s feet, his feet were pointing towards the Lord’s feet. This cannot be taken as surrender, where one places one’s head at the feet of the Lord. So Sita distracted His attention, and pushed Kakasura’s head close to Rama’s feet. She then pointed to Rama that Kakasura had surrendered and must therefore not be killed. Thus it was Sita who was responsible for saving Kakasura.