Sita’s Ornaments — The Inner Jewels of Pure Thinking

Question:

Ma’am, in today’s chapter there’s a scene where Ram and Lakshman are searching for Sita, and they reach the spot where Sita’s ornaments are lying on the ground. Ram describes them with certain comparisons. What does that really mean? What is the deeper significance of those ornaments?

Answer:

See, on the spiritual level, ornaments don’t mean the jewelry we wear on our hands, feet, or neck. The inner ornaments are our qualities — our refined thoughts, noble feelings, and elevated perspective.

The ornaments symbolize the virtues within us — our pure thoughts, kind emotions, and positive vision. If we start naming them, there are countless virtues living inside us: compassion, truthfulness, patience, forgiveness, humility, service, contentment, and so on. In all our ancient literature, ornaments represent these inner qualities.

Question:

And what about that part describing the ground near the Godavari River — where little sparkling particles were seen, like fragments of ornaments? What does that mean? Is there any physical meaning to it?

Answer:

No, there’s no physical meaning here. Remember — Sita represents our pure thinking. And that thinking is called pure because it is adorned with the jewels of many virtues.

Why do we call her “pure thought”? Because her thinking is decorated with those inner ornaments — qualities like service, surrender, compassion, and selflessness.

So those scattered ornaments on the ground aren’t material jewels. They symbolize the virtues that once adorned pure thought but have now fallen — because the purity has been disturbed.

Question:

That makes sense. Because literally, it wouldn’t fit — Sita wouldn’t be wandering in a forest wearing heavy gold jewelry. So it’s all symbolic, right?

Answer:

Exactly. The “forest journey” of Ram isn’t about going into a physical jungle. The forest represents the inner world — our own mind, intellect, and subconscious.

We rarely look within, so we don’t see what’s happening deep inside our own mind. The unseen forest is that inner region — where countless thoughts, desires, and impressions live hidden.

So the journey into the forest means turning inward — looking into one’s own mind, intellect, emotions, and feelings. Asking, “What’s happening inside me? Am I thinking of helping others, or criticizing them? Is my heart filled with service or just self-interest?”

“Pure thinking” means the kind of thought that holds selflessness, compassion, surrender, and the spirit of service. There’s no trace of “I, me, mine” in it.

So Sita’s ornaments are symbols of those virtues — the inner jewels that make our thinking pure.