Human beings feel the heat of their karma which is of three types, sanchita, agami and prarabdha. Sanchita karma is the effect of accumulated deeds and prarabdha is what one experiences in the present life while agami belongs to the future. Evil and suffering are caused by the individual’s karma. Karmas, good or evil, create happiness or misery. It is believed that one’s destiny caused by one’s past karma has to be undergone at all costs. But Krishna says in the Gita that He will make the sorrow bearable in His devotee. He does this through preceptors, saints and realised souls who take away the sting in the sorrow, and also have the power to change the cruel effects of destiny, pointed out Sri Rama Dikshitar in a discourse.When the devotee Appoodhi Adigal had to face the sorrow of losing his son to a snake bite, Siva did not intervene directly but sent Saint Tirunavukkarasar to his place who restored peace in the family.
In Sita’s case, she decides to take away her life, when she reaches the tether end of her hopes of being saved by Rama at the end of the ten-month long captivity. Since the future for her seems to be death at the hands of Ravana or the rakshasis, she decides to end her life. She then salutes the realised souls who are above likes and dislikes. It is only ordinary people who react with joy when whatever pleases happen and plunge into sorrow when something they do not desire happens. Sita’s mental association at this juncture with the pious souls who maintain equanimity brings about a change in her destiny.
