The Untold Story of Seeta- Her Journey Through Fields, Palaces and Forests

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Reading "The Untold Story of Seeta - a journey through fields, palaces and forests", is like traversing the journey of Seeta's life, the wife of Ram, the legendary king of Kosala. Although the story follows the chronology of events in the famous epic the Ramayana, it is not a retelling of the Ramayana. Neeraja Phatak brings Seeta to life as she - Seeta tells her own story and of her love for Ram.

Nagging questions around Seeta's personality are viewed from a fresh perspective. Was Seeta's greatest quality her ability to suffer in silence? Is possible that the daughter of the great Janak, and a pupil of the great sag Gargi, had no opinion of her own? How could Ram, considered the best Amon men, have permitted his wife to go through a trial by fire? Or has Seeta bees smothered under a veil of convenience?

Nuggets of philosophy woven into every day conversations compel the reader to go within and ponder. For example, when Neeraja writes, 'Ram said, "Happiness is a state of mind, it is subjective, and differs from person to person and is relative to a context.

There was always a discordant note in the retellings of the Ramayana that I heard that have nagged me. How could Ram, regarded the best among all men publicly humiliate his wife in the name of 'Dharma'? How could Seeta the daughter of the great Janak accept this humiliation? Explanations came fast and thick - "Greatest good for the greatest number": "Giving up personal happiness for the good of society": "A wife's duty is to accept her husband wishes in the larger interests of society". These explanations did not convince me and I embarked on a journey looking for Seeta.

The Ram and Seeta I met were not merely formally wedded husband and wife, but they were companions. Under his composed exterior I discovered that Ram was a loving husband and a romantic man. The world lauded him for his adherence to his Dharma, be it as a son, brother, friend or King; but that he was often caught between a rock and a hard place was known only to his wife. As I followed her I was amazed at Seeta's sagacity and resilience. Their sons Luv and Kush became the Kings of Kosala not only because Ram was their father but because Seeta was their mother.

My grateful thanks to my mother Kusum Phatak for her unconditional support through my journey; to Anjani Singh in Pune who spared her valuable time reading endless versions of the manuscript, gently suggesting changes and patiently editing, to V. Krishna of Samata Books in Chennai for his encouragement and advice; to Issaikavi Venkateswaran for sharing with me over the years transcripts of my revered guru Sadguru K Sivananda Murty's talks; Guruji's words of wisdom and counsel have added depth to my story, without His blessings this book would not have seen the light of day.

A big thank you to Ananyaa Mital for the cover page.

Padma Narayan and Aditi Phatak thank you for your encouragement and belief in me; Devna Kamat and Nivedita Rao thank you for your suggestions and encouragement.

Last but not least, I'd like to thank Nelson Cortez and Gemma Ramos of Partridge Publishing for their support.