Ramayana. Sita brought to Rama.
But now Rama called Hanuman to him, and sent him to search for Sita and inform her of all that had befallen; and he found her still by the Asoka tree, guarded by rakshasis. Hanuman stood before her humbly and told his tale, and she gave him the message: "I desire to behold my lord." Then the radiant monkey came to Rama and gave him Sita's message. Rama wept thereat and was plunged in thought, and with a heavy sigh he said to Vibhishana: "Do thou bring Sita hither quickly, bathed and fitly adorned with sandal-paste and jewels." He repaired to her and gave her Rama's command; she would have gone to him unbathed. "But thou shouldst do according to thy lord's word," he said. "So be it," she replied, and when she had made her ready, worthy bearers brought her on a palanquin to Rama. Rama, beholding her who had long been the prisoner of Ravana, and overcome with sorrow, was stricken at once with fury, joy, and grief. "O lord of rakshasas, O gentle king," said he to Vibhishana, "do thou bring Sita near to me." Then Vibhishana drove away the crowd of monkeys, bears, and rakshasas, and the attendants with canes and drums roughly hustled the assembled host. But Rama made them desist, and ordered that Sita should leave her palanquin and come to him on foot, saying to Vibhishana: "Thou shouldst rather comfort than harass these our own folk. No sin is there when women are seen abroad in time of war or danger, at an own-choice, or at marriage. Sita is in danger now, and there can be no wrong in seeing her, the more so as I am here to guard her."
Vibhishana, cast down at that rebuke, brought Sita humbly up to Rama; and she stood shamefast, hiding as it were her true self in her outward shape, beholding Rama's face with wonder, joy, and love. At the sight of him her sorrow vanished, and she shone radiant like the moon.
But Rama, seeing her stand humbly near him, could no more hold back his speech, and cried: "O gentle one, I have subdued thy foe and wiped away the stain upon my honour. The work of Hanuman, in crossing the deep and harrying Lanka; of Sugriva, with his army and his counsel; and of Vibhishana, hath borne its fruit, and I have fulfilled my promise, by my own right accomplishing the duty of a man." Then Sita looked on Rama sadly, like a deer, with tear-filled eyes; and Rama, seeing her so near, but bethinking him of honour in the sight of men, was torn in twain. "I have wiped away the insult to our family and to myself," said he, "but thou art stained by dwelling with another than myself. What man of high degree receives back a wife who hath lived long in another's house? Ravana has held thee on his lap and gazed on thee with lustful eyes. I have avenged his evil deed, but I am unattached to thee. O gentle one, I am forced by a sense of honour to renounce thee, for how should Ravana have overlooked thee, so fair and dainty as thou art, when he had thee at his will? Do thou choose what home thou wilt, whether with Lakshman, or Bharata, or Sugriva, or with Vibhishana."
Then Sita, hearing that cruel speech of Rama, little like his wonted words, trembled like a swaying vine, and wept with heavy tears, and she was ashamed before that great assembly. But she wiped the tears from her face, and answered him: "Ah, why dost thou speak thus roughly and unkindly? Seeing the ways of other women, thou wilt trust in none! But, O thou long-armed hero, I am my own sufficient witness to my purity. It was not with my consent that another touched my person. My body was not in my power; but my heart, that lies under my own sway, is set on thee alone. O thou my lord and source of honour, our affection increased by living continually together for a long time; and now, if thou dost not know my faithfulness, I am undone for ever. O king, why didst thou not renounce me when Hanuman came? Then would I have given up my life, and thou needst not have undertaken all thy labour, nor laid a burden on thy friends. Thou art angered; like a common man thou seest naught in me but womanhood. I am called the daughter of Janaka, but, in sooth, I was born of Earth; thou knowest not my true self." Then Sita turned to Lakshman, and said with faltering speech: "O son of Sumitra, build me a funeral pyre; therein is my only refuge. Branded with an undeserved stigma, I will not live." Lakshman, wrought with grief and anger, turned to Rama, and in obedience ot his gesture he prepared the funeral pyre.
But now Rama called Hanuman to him, and sent him to search for Sita and inform her of all that had befallen; and he found her still by the Asoka tree, guarded by rakshasis. Hanuman stood before her humbly and told his tale, and she gave him the message: "I desire to behold my lord." Then the radiant monkey came to Rama and gave him Sita's message. Rama wept thereat and was plunged in thought, and with a heavy sigh he said to Vibhishana: "Do thou bring Sita hither quickly, bathed and fitly adorned with sandal-paste and jewels." He repaired to her and gave her Rama's command; she would have gone to him unbathed. "But thou shouldst do according to thy lord's word," he said. "So be it," she replied, and when she had made her ready, worthy bearers brought her on a palanquin to Rama. Rama, beholding her who had long been the prisoner of Ravana, and overcome with sorrow, was stricken at once with fury, joy, and grief. "O lord of rakshasas, O gentle king," said he to Vibhishana, "do thou bring Sita near to me." Then Vibhishana drove away the crowd of monkeys, bears, and rakshasas, and the attendants with canes and drums roughly hustled the assembled host. But Rama made them desist, and ordered that Sita should leave her palanquin and come to him on foot, saying to Vibhishana: "Thou shouldst rather comfort than harass these our own folk. No sin is there when women are seen abroad in time of war or danger, at an own-choice, or at marriage. Sita is in danger now, and there can be no wrong in seeing her, the more so as I am here to guard her."
Vibhishana, cast down at that rebuke, brought Sita humbly up to Rama; and she stood shamefast, hiding as it were her true self in her outward shape, beholding Rama's face with wonder, joy, and love. At the sight of him her sorrow vanished, and she shone radiant like the moon.
But Rama, seeing her stand humbly near him, could no more hold back his speech, and cried: "O gentle one, I have subdued thy foe and wiped away the stain upon my honour. The work of Hanuman, in crossing the deep and harrying Lanka; of Sugriva, with his army and his counsel; and of Vibhishana, hath borne its fruit, and I have fulfilled my promise, by my own right accomplishing the duty of a man." Then Sita looked on Rama sadly, like a deer, with tear-filled eyes; and Rama, seeing her so near, but bethinking him of honour in the sight of men, was torn in twain. "I have wiped away the insult to our family and to myself," said he, "but thou art stained by dwelling with another than myself. What man of high degree receives back a wife who hath lived long in another's house? Ravana has held thee on his lap and gazed on thee with lustful eyes. I have avenged his evil deed, but I am unattached to thee. O gentle one, I am forced by a sense of honour to renounce thee, for how should Ravana have overlooked thee, so fair and dainty as thou art, when he had thee at his will? Do thou choose what home thou wilt, whether with Lakshman, or Bharata, or Sugriva, or with Vibhishana."
Then Sita, hearing that cruel speech of Rama, little like his wonted words, trembled like a swaying vine, and wept with heavy tears, and she was ashamed before that great assembly. But she wiped the tears from her face, and answered him: "Ah, why dost thou speak thus roughly and unkindly? Seeing the ways of other women, thou wilt trust in none! But, O thou long-armed hero, I am my own sufficient witness to my purity. It was not with my consent that another touched my person. My body was not in my power; but my heart, that lies under my own sway, is set on thee alone. O thou my lord and source of honour, our affection increased by living continually together for a long time; and now, if thou dost not know my faithfulness, I am undone for ever. O king, why didst thou not renounce me when Hanuman came? Then would I have given up my life, and thou needst not have undertaken all thy labour, nor laid a burden on thy friends. Thou art angered; like a common man thou seest naught in me but womanhood. I am called the daughter of Janaka, but, in sooth, I was born of Earth; thou knowest not my true self." Then Sita turned to Lakshman, and said with faltering speech: "O son of Sumitra, build me a funeral pyre; therein is my only refuge. Branded with an undeserved stigma, I will not live." Lakshman, wrought with grief and anger, turned to Rama, and in obedience ot his gesture he prepared the funeral pyre.
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But now Rama called Hanuman to him, and sent him to search for Sita and inform her of all that had befallen; and he found her still by the Asoka tree, guarded by rakshasis. Hanuman stood before her humbly and told his tale, and she gave him the message: "I desire to behold my lord." Then the radiant monkey came to Rama and gave him Sita's message. Rama wept thereat and was plunged in thought, and with a heavy sigh he said to Vibhishana: "Do thou bring Sita hither quickly, bathed and fitly adorned with sandal-paste and jewels." He repaired to her and gave her Rama's command; she would have gone to him unbathed. "But thou shouldst do according to thy lord's word," he said. "So be it," she replied, and when she had made her ready, worthy bearers brought her on a palanquin to Rama. Rama, beholding her who had long been the prisoner of Ravana, and overcome with sorrow, was stricken at once with fury, joy, and grief. "O lord of rakshasas, O gentle king," said he to Vibhishana, "do thou bring Sita near to me." Then Vibhishana drove away the crowd of monkeys, bears, and rakshasas, and the attendants with canes and drums roughly hustled the assembled host. But Rama made them desist, and ordered that Sita should leave her palanquin and come to him on foot, saying to Vibhishana: "Thou shouldst rather comfort than harass these our own folk. No sin is there when women are seen abroad in time of war or danger, at an own-choice, or at marriage. Sita is in danger now, and there can be no wrong in seeing her, the more so as I am here to guard her."
Vibhishana, cast down at that rebuke, brought Sita humbly up to Rama; and she stood shamefast, hiding as it were her true self in her outward shape, beholding Rama's face with wonder, joy, and love. At the sight of him her sorrow vanished, and she shone radiant like the moon.
But Rama, seeing her stand humbly near him, could no more hold back his speech, and cried: "O gentle one, I have subdued thy foe and wiped away the stain upon my honour. The work of Hanuman, in crossing the deep and harrying Lanka; of Sugriva, with his army and his counsel; and of Vibhishana, hath borne its fruit, and I have fulfilled my promise, by my own right accomplishing the duty of a man." Then Sita looked on Rama sadly, like a deer, with tear-filled eyes; and Rama, seeing her so near, but bethinking him of honour in the sight of men, was torn in twain. "I have wiped away the insult to our family and to myself," said he, "but thou art stained by dwelling with another than myself. What man of high degree receives back a wife who hath lived long in another's house? Ravana has held thee on his lap and gazed on thee with lustful eyes. I have avenged his evil deed, but I am unattached to thee. O gentle one, I am forced by a sense of honour to renounce thee, for how should Ravana have overlooked thee, so fair and dainty as thou art, when he had thee at his will? Do thou choose what home thou wilt, whether with Lakshman, or Bharata, or Sugriva, or with Vibhishana."
Then Sita, hearing that cruel speech of Rama, little like his wonted words, trembled like a swaying vine, and wept with heavy tears, and she was ashamed before that great assembly. But she wiped the tears from her face, and answered him: "Ah, why dost thou speak thus roughly and unkindly? Seeing the ways of other women, thou wilt trust in none! But, O thou long-armed hero, I am my own sufficient witness to my purity. It was not with my consent that another touched my person. My body was not in my power; but my heart, that lies under my own sway, is set on thee alone. O thou my lord and source of honour, our affection increased by living continually together for a long time; and now, if thou dost not know my faithfulness, I am undone for ever. O king, why didst thou not renounce me when Hanuman came? Then would I have given up my life, and thou needst not have undertaken all thy labour, nor laid a burden on thy friends. Thou art angered; like a common man thou seest naught in me but womanhood. I am called the daughter of Janaka, but, in sooth, I was born of Earth; thou knowest not my true self." Then Sita turned to Lakshman, and said with faltering speech: "O son of Sumitra, build me a funeral pyre; therein is my only refuge. Branded with an undeserved stigma, I will not live." Lakshman, wrought with grief and anger, turned to Rama, and in obedience ot his gesture he prepared the funeral pyre.
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