Part 26

That lover of virtue, thinking of the miseries of the forest, resolved not to take Sita with him, who was versed in religious lores and had spoken thus. And consoling her whose eyes were stained with tears, that virtuous-souled one spoke unto her the following words with a view to prevent her from going. "Oh Sita, thou art born of an illustrious family and ever intent on the performance of religious deeds; do thou practise virtue here as it may conduce to the happiness of my mind. Oh Sita, Oh thou of the weaker sex, do thou act up to my counsels; there are evils enough in the forest, do thou learn them from me who am about to dwell in it. Renounce therefore. Oh Sita, thy intention of flying as an exile unto the forest, which for its impenitrableness is said to abound in evils. It is for thy welfare that I give utterance to these words; happiness there is none, it is always covered with miseries. The roarings of the lions living in the caves of mountains, swelling with the sounds of the waterfalls, produce a very painful impression upon the ears; so the wood is full of misery. Animals, all maddened, sporting in solitude, seeing (man), approach to attack him; so the wood is full of misery. The rivers are full of crocodiles, sharks, and other fearful animals, muddy and impassable and always infested with infuriated elephants; the wood is full of misery. There the wayfares are covered with creepers and thorns: they are void of drinking water and ever resounded with the noise of the wild fowls; so the wood is full of misery. Being exhausted with the toil of the day, the dwellers of the wood have to sleep in night on the bed made of leaves fallen from the trees on the surface of the ground; so the wood is full of misery. With the (supply of) fruits that have fallen from the trees man of self discipline must content himself morning and evening; so the wood, O Sita, is full of misery. One has to fast, O Maithili, according to his might, to wear matted hair and bark, to adore the deities and his ancestors according to due rites, every day to serve the guests that come to him, and observing the rules of asceticism, to bathe every day thrice, namely, in the morning, in the mid-day and in the evening; so the wood is full of misery. One has to offer presents of flowers collected by his ownself unto the altars, O Sita, according to the rites of the ascetics; so the wood is full of misery. Those that dwell in the forest will have to remain content, having practised moderation in food, O Maithili, with whatever edibles are attainable in the forest; so the wood is full of misery. There are always violent winds, darkness, hunger, and great fear; so the wood is full of misery. Reptiles, many and of various kinds, creep there on the path, O excellent lady, with haughtiness; so the wood is full of misery. And snakes living in the rivers and of crooked course like them, always await the wayfarers, hindering the passers-by: so the wood is full of misery. Birds, scorpions, insects mosquitos and wild gnats, always disturb the dwellers, O fair one of the weaker sex; so the wood is full of misery. There are trees full of thorns, having their branches moving to and fro, and the _kusa_ and _kasa_ grasses with thorny blades constantly undulating; so the wood is full of misery. There are various physical afflictions and divers fears and great misery consequent upon living in the forest. Anger and desires are to be renounced, the heart is to be set on ascetic austerities, fear in the fearful objects is to be cast off; so the wood is full of misery. Thou shouldst not therefore go unto the forest--it forebodes no good unto thee. Weighing well, have I concluded that the forest abounds in innumerable evils." While the high-souled Rama, resolved thus not to take Sita with him unto the forest, she, greatly sorry, did not accept his words and spoke unto him in the following way.

SECTION XXIX.

Hearing these words of Rama, Sita greatly sorry, with tears in her eyes, spoke gently unto him the following words. "The evils, thus enumerated by thee of living in the forest, do thou know, appear as so many good qualities unto me, who have been made forward by thy affection. Deer, lions, elephants, tigers, _saravas_,[132] _chamaras_,[133] _srimaras_,[134] and other animals which have not seen thee before, seeing thee, Raghava, will stand off, for they all fear thee. I shall follow thee, taking the permission of the respected ones; without thee, O Rama, I will renounce my life. If I live by thee, O Raghava, _Sakra_, the lord of celestials, shall not be able with his mighty power to defeat me. 'A woman, without her husband, cannot live'; this truth has been pointed out by thee, O Rama, unto me. Besides, I heard before, thou of great intelligence, in my paternal house from the Brahmanas that I should live in the forest. I have heard this from the Brahmanas versed in palmistry, and I have all along been anxious, O mighty hero, to go to the forest; shall therefore obtain permission and go, O dearly beloved, unto the forest with thee; nothing can make it otherwise. I shall secure permission and follow thee; the time has arrived; may the Brahmanas be of truthful words! I know, O great hero, that there are many evils incident to living in the forest; but they generally befall those men who have not their senses subdued. I heard, when I was a girl, that an ascetic woman of well-disciplined character, came to my mother and apprised her of my future abode in the forest. I had requested thee, O my lord, many times before in this house to take me to the forest with thee for enjoyment, and thou wast pleased to agree. For thy welfare, O Raghava, having received thy permission to follow thee, I like to serve thee, O great hero, while living in the forest.

O thou, pure-hearted one, surely shall I become sinless if I follow my husband,out of affection; for my husband is my Divinity. I have heard this pious report from the Brahmanas of great fame that even in after life thy company is greatly beneficial unto me. She, who has been given away as wife by her father to one, with due rites of gift peculiar to each class, touching holy water, shall be his, even in her after life. For what reason then dost thou not wish to take thy wife with thee who is of good character and devoted to her husband? Do thou take me, O Kakuthstha, who am poor in spirit, devoted to my husband, ever given to thy service, and participating equally in thy joy and sorrow. If thou dost not purpose to take me with thee, surely will I do away with my life by drinking poison, entering into fire, or drowning myself in water." She begged Rama in these and various other means to take her with him, but that mighty hero did not consent to lead her into the lonely forest. Being accosted thus, Maithili was wrapt up in thought and bathed her breast with tears trickling down from her eyes. And Kakuthstha having control over his ownself, with a view to dissuade her who was angry and engrossed in anxious thoughts, began to console her in divers ways.

[132] A fabulous animal supposed to have eight legs and to inhabit particularly the snowy mountains.-- T.

[133] A kind of deer, or rather the _Bos Gruriniens_ erroneously classed by the Hindu writers amongst the deer.--T.

[134] A young deer.-- T.

SECTION XXX.

Being consoled thus by Rama, Maithili, the daughter of Janaka, tearing separation, lovingly and haughtily laughed at Raghava of spacious breast, and spoke unto him, her husband, the following words with a view to follow him to the forest. "What thought of thee, O Rama, my father, the king of Mithila, accepting thee as his son-in-law, who was a man in form but (in deeds) a woman? Henceforth if people through ignorance say that the sun has not that burning flood of light which in Rama does shine forth, woe is them, it is falsehood. Why art thou so dejected and whence is thy fear that thou art willing to leave behind thy wife who has none else but thee? Know me to be perfectly under thy influence like unto _Savitri_, following her husband _Satvavan_, the son of _Dumat Sen_. I have not, like one bringing stigma on her line, ever in my life thought of a second person, but of thee whom I must follow into the forest. Dost thou, like unto an ordinary actor, wish to hand me over to others, who am chaste, pure as a virgin, and long held in conjugal affection? O sinless one, do thou become subservient and serviceable to him whose pleasure thou biddst me seek, and for whom thou hast suffered thyself to be impeded (in the installation). It does not behove thee to repair unto the forest without taking me along with thee. Be it the austerity of an ascetic, the forest or heaven, with thee will I be everywhere. No toil shall I suffer on the way, as if lying on a bed of luxury, while following thee in thy footstep. When with thee, the various thorny grasses, the _Kusa_, the _Kasa_, the _Sara_, and the _Ishika_, and the thistles and brambles on the way, shall be unto me in touch like unto linen and deer-skin. The dust that will cover me, thrown up by the gush of wind, shall be, O ravisher of my heart, regarded by me as the finest sandal dust. When I shall lie down on the bed of green grass in the forest, it shall appear to me more pleasant than one covered with a colored blanket. Fruits, roots and leaves which thou wilt bring thyself and give me, be they great or small in quantity, shall be to me like unto the ambrosia-juice. I shall never think of my father, mother, or my abode; I shall enjoy fruits and flowers growing in various seasons. Thou shalt not witness any thing disagreeable there; for me thou shalt not experience any sorrow,nor shall I be a burden unto thee; do thou take me with thee, O Rama, conceiving with pleasure that thy company is a heaven unto me and thy absence a hell. If thou dost not take me unto the forest which I count freed from all evils, surely I shall drink poison and never come under the influence of my enemies. When through affliction I shall not live after separation, better it is, O Lord, that I die immediately at the time of my being forsaken by thee; I cannot bear this grief even for a moment. How shall I be able to live without thee for fourteen years?"

Thus lamenting, Sita, racked with sorrow, embraced her husband and began to cry aloud. Like unto a she- elephant,she being pierced by the poisonous shafts of Rama's words, began to shed tears, long kept off, as an _Arani_ wood emits fire continually. Tears caused by her sorrow and white as the crystal began to trickle down from her eyes, like unto water falling in drops from lotus petals. And that beautiful face having expansive eyes and resembling the full moon in its splendour, with tears became pale and parched, like unto a lotus taken out of its watery bed. Finding her almost insensible with sorrow, Rama flung his arms round her and reviving her (with consolation) spoke the following words unto her; "I do not long for, O worshipful one, even the abode of celestials gained through thy affliction: fear there is none for me like unto the self-create Brahma. Not apprised of thy full intention, O thou of beautiful countenance, I could not, though capable of escorting thee, desire thy abode in the forest. When thou art determined O Maithili, to repair unto the forest with me, I cannot leave thee behind, as one possessing self knowledge cannot renounce munificence. O thou, having thighs resembling the trunks of an elephant, I shall resort to that virtue which was exercised by great and good men going before; do thou follow me therefore like Suvarchala following the Sun. I cannot but go unto the forest, O daughter of Janaka, the truthful word of my father leads me thereto. Obedience unto his parents is the virtue of a son. Disobeying the command of my father I am not eager to live. Why should we with meditations and adorations worship Destiny, which is not cognizable to the worshippers, neglecting our parents, who are ever present to our senses? In the worship of the parents are fulfilled the triple object of religious pursuit, and the adoration of the three regions; there is nothing equal to it, conducing to purity; so do I, O thou of excellent look, resort to it.

Truth, almsgiving, honor, and sacrifices with profuse gifts are not so strengthening (in the life to come) as the services rendered unlo the parents. Heaven, wealth, grains, learning, son, and happiness,--nothing remains inaccessible unto us. Great souls following the desires, and resorting to the service of their parents, get at the abodes of celestials, Gandharvas, the seats of Brahma and Vishnu, and other excellent regions. Therefore do I desire to follow what my father commands me, treading in the path of truth,-- and this is the virtue eternal. My resolution of not taking thee, Sita, unto the forest of Dandaka is now rent asunder, as thou hast prepared thyself to live in the forest and follow me. Permitted by me, O fair one of exquisite beauty, to repair unto the forest, do thou follow me, O thou timid one, and the partner of my righteousness. Thy determination to follow me, O beautiful one, is very excellent and is in perfect keeping with myself and my family. Do thou address thyself to repairing unto the forest, for without this now even heaven itself does not please me. Do thou give away jewels unto the Brahmanas and edibles unto the beggars longing for them, and make haste without delay. Confer upon the Brahmanas, valuable ornaments, excellent clothes, pleasant toys, beds, conveyances and other fine things in thy possession and then what remains do thou distribute amongst the servants." Convinced that her going to the forest was desired by her husband, Sita began to distribute them speedily with a delighted heart.

SECTION XXXI.

Hearing this conversation, Lakshmana, who had gone there before, with tears in his eyes and being unable to bear this terrible sorrow, took hold of his brother's feet and spoke thus unto that greatly renowned Sita and Raghava. "If thou art resolved to repair unto the forest filled with deer and elephants, I shall accompany thee, always going before with bows in my hands. Thou shalt range with me in that charming part of the forest which resounds with the music of the birds and the humming of the bees. Alienated from thee I do not long for the abode of the celestials, nor for eternal life, nor for the wealth of the three regions." The son of Sumitra, who spoke thus and was determined upon going to the forest, being repeatedly requested by Rama with consoling words to desist from his purpose, spoke unto him the following words. "Formerly thou didst order me to follow thee; and why dost thou prevent me now from accompanying thee to the forest? I want to learn, O sinless one, why thou dost prevent me now from following thee. I entertain a grave doubt in this." Then the highly effulgent Rama spoke thus unto that sedate Lakshmana, who stood praying before him with clasped hands. "Thou art sedate, fond of virtue, of peaceful temper, and thou walkest always in the paths of righteousness. I hold thee dear as my life and thou art obedient unto me and art my friend. If thou dost accompany me unto the forest, O son of Sumitra, who shall serve Kaucalya and the highly renowned Sumitra? That highly effulgent lord of earth who will satisfy the world with the fulfillment of its desires like unto rain spreading in showers over the earth, is himself now shackled with desires unto Kaikeyi. That daughter of Acwapati obtaining this kingdom from the monarch, there will be no end of the miseries of these co-wives. Bharata attaining the throne and siding his mother, Kaikeyi will never think of Kaucalya or Sumitra sore distressed with grief. Do thou therefore, O son of Sumitra, live here of thy own accord or by the favour of the monarch, and maintain these worshipful ones. If thou dost act thus, it will be showing thy best regard in me. O thou, versed in the knowledge of religion, real virtue consists in the adoration of superiors. Do this, O son of Sumitra, for my sake; if we all go away leaving her aside, she will not be happy in any way."

Accosted thus by Rama, Lakshmana, well versed in speech, spoke unto him the following humble words. "Be afraid of thy power, O hero, Bharata shall adore Kaucalya and Sumitra--there is no doubt about this. If that wicked Bharata obtaining this excellent kingdom, does not maintain and take care of them, being impelled by haughtiness and wicked impulses, surely shall I kill him, that wicked-minded one, though he be assisted by the entire population of the three regions. Besides, that worshipful Kaucalya, who has made grants of many thousand villages unto her servants, can maintain thousands of people like us, and has enough to maintain herself as well as my mother. Do thou therefore permit me to follow thee; there will be no breach of virtue in this,and I shall have my desires attained and thy interests shall be secured. I shall go before thee pointing out thy course, with stringed bows, a hoe, and a basket in my hands. I shall bring for thee every day various roots and fruits and other things that grow in the forest and which the ascetics use in their sacrifice. Thou shalt amuse thyself with Vaidehi on the sides of the hill, and I shall perform everything for thee whether thou art asleep or awake."

Being extremely gratified with these words, Rama spoke unto him, saying,--"Do thou follow me, O son of Sumitra, obtaining permission from all thy relatives. The high-souled Varuna himself offered two terrible-looking bows of etherial temper, two sets of weapons at the great sacrifice of the royal Janaka--namely, impenetrable mail, two quivers, two inexhaustible arrows, and two swords burnished with gold and bright as the Sun. These things were offered unto me as bridal presents, and I have kept them at the house of my preceptor. Do thou, O Lakshmana, paying homage unto my preceptor, taking all those weapons, swiftly bring them hither. Determined upon going unto the forest, Lakshmana, taking leave of his friends, went to the abode of the spiritual preceptor of the Ikshwakus and took from him those excellent weapons. And that best of princes, the son of Sumitra, showed Rama those heavenly arms--worshipped and well adorned with garlands. Seeing Lakshmana arrive there, Rama, having control over his ownself, greatly pleased, spoke unto him the following words. "Thou hast arrived, O Lakshmana, just when I wanted thee. I want to distribute with thee these my riches amongst the Brahmauas and the ascetics. There are many excellent Brahmanas having firm reverence in their preceptor. I want to distribute my wealth amongst them and many other personages who depend upon me for their maintenance. Bring here speedily the worshipful Sujajna, the son of Vasishtha; I want to repair unto the forest after duly adoring him and other excellent Brahmanas."

SECTION XXXII.

Receiving this pleasant and beneficial mandate of his brother, Lakshmana speedily went unto the abode of Sujajna, and finding that Vipra in the chamber where the sacrificial fire was maintained, worshipped him and addressed him, saying; "Friend, come and behold the abode of that one of arduous deeds (Rama) renouncing his incoming installation." Finishing his prayers, Sujajna accompanied Lakshmana and arrived at the splendid mansion of Rama, filled with riches. No sooner Rama found that Brahmana versed in the Veda (Sujajna) arrive there, shining in effulgence like unto the blazing fire, than he rose up from his seat along with Sita, with clasped hands, and received him as if he had been the sacrificial fire itself, and offered him excellent golden _Angadas_, shining ear-rings, necklaces of jewels fastened together with golden strings, _Keyuras_, bracelets, and various other ornaments, and spoke unto him, being desired by Sita, the following words. "O my gentle friend! do thou by some servant send unto thy wife this necklace and _Hemasutra_. And Sita, the friend of thy wife, also intends to give this _Rasana_ unto thy wife, And on the eve of her going to the woods, she presents thyself and thy wife with _Angadas_ of curious workmanship and elegant _Keyuras_. And Vaidehi wishes to present thee with this fine bed-stead with its coverlet studed with various precious jewels. And I offer thee, O great ascetic, with a thousand gold coins, this excellent elephant, called the destroyer of foes, which had been bestowed upon me by my maternal uncle."