Somebody Caring For Me

“O Devi, thus unity was born between Rama and Sugriva. Know me to be Hanuman, who has arrived here as their messenger.” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 35.52)

rāma sugrīvayoḥ aikyam devi evam samajāyata |
hanūmantam ca mām viddhi tayoḥ dūtam iha āgatam ||

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You’ve fallen terribly ill. It might not be that serious, but it feels awful. Usually, during the winter season you might get a cold or two, which involve the sniffles, a cough, and maybe some fatigue. This time you’ve got a fever. By taking some pain relieving medication, you expect the fever to break shortly.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen. The fever continues to get worse, carrying over into the next day. Your pulse rate is high, and some veins are starting to bulge on your forehead. You wonder when the misery will end. It feels as if pretty soon your head is going to explode from the pressure.

Then someone arrives to help you. They bring special pills that are to be taken one a day, for five days. Skeptical of the ability to cure something so out of control, you take a pill anyway. The effect is practically instantaneous. Within an hour the fever is gone. The pulse rate is back to normal. Now only the rest of the flu symptoms remain, which you are equipped to handle and tolerate.

The key factor in this situation was the help arriving from the well-wisher. In the above referenced verse from the Ramayana, we hear of something similar. Hanuman goes to Sita Devi, being sent there as a messenger to both Rama and Sugriva, between whom an alliance was formed.

Sita had a much bigger issue than a raging fever. Her body was emaciated from not eating. She was sobbing continuously. There were no well-wishers around. Everyone was against her and her husband, the prince of Ayodhya. Then suddenly Hanuman arrived to save the day.

In the same way, the conditioned living entities in this world are suffering through so many miseries. The aggregate is put into three categories: those coming from the heavens, those coming from within, and those coming from other living beings. There is danger at every step; there is no such thing as complete safety.

The only rescue from the miseries is the helping hand of the Divine. To those sincerely wishing to break free from the cycle of birth and death and all the miseries coming in between, the Supreme Lord either directly arrives on the scene or sends one of His capable representatives, such as Hanuman. The effect is the same in either case: a cure.

It should be noted that Sita Devi is not diseased, and nor does she suffer from the threefold miseries of life. Her pastimes in this world, documented in the Ramayana and many Puranas of the Vedic tradition, are for the benefit of others through providing valuable instruction. They also bring delight to those who hear about them with a pure heart. She is in fact the goddess of fortune, playing the role of supreme benefactor. Those who use her benedictions for the pleasure of her husband Rama continue in the path of bliss that is devotional service. Hanuman is one such person, and Sita continues to repay him a thousand-fold to this very day by giving him just what he needs for his devotion to Rama.

In Closing:

From out of nowhere fever to come,

With bulging veins fearful to become.

 

Then rescue from well-wisher got,

From pills sudden temperature drop.

 

Devotee in same way relieving,

From them blessed words receiving.

 

Like Hanuman to Sita news disclosing,

Goddess of fortune his sacrifice rewarding.