Ramayana. Sita's Ordeal.
Then Sita, circumambulating Rama, standing with downcast eyes, approached the fire; with folded hands she stood and prayed: "Inasmuch as my heart has never turned from Rama, do thou, O Fire, all men's witness, guard me; since Rama casts me away as stained, who in sooth am stainless, do thou be my refuge." Then Sita went about the pyre and entered the burning flames, so that all, both young and old, assembled there were overcome with grief, and the noise of uttermost wailing and lamentation arose on every hand.
Rama stayed immovable and rapt; but the gods came down to Lanka in their shining cars and, folding their hands, prayed Rama to relent. "Thou that dost protect the worlds, why dost thou renounce the daughter of Janaka, leaving her to choose the death by fire? How can it be thou knowest not what thyself art? Thou wast in the beginning, and shalt be at the end: thou art first of all the gods, thyself the grandsire and creator. Why dost thou treat Sita after the fashion of a mere man?" said they. To whom Rama replied: "I know myself only as a man, Rama, the son of Dasharatha; now let the grandsire tell me who I am and whence I came."
Then Brahma answered: "Hearken, thou whose virtue lies in truth! O Lord, thou art Narayana, bearing disk and mace; thou art the one-tusked boar; thou goest beyond the past, the present, and the future; thine is the bow of Time; thou art creation and destruction; thou art the slayer of all enemies, thou the forgiveness and control of passions; thou art the refuge of all gods and hermits; thou art manifest in every creature, in cows and Brahmans, in every quarter, in sky and river and mountain-peak; a thousand limbs, a thousand eyes, a thousand heads are thine; thy heart am I, thy tongue Sarasvati; the closing of thy eye is night, its opening day: Sita is Lakshmi and thou Vishnu and Krishna. And, O Rama, now Ravana is slain, do thou ascend to Heaven, thy work accomplished. Naught shall they lack whose hearts are set on thee, nor fail who chant thy lay."
Then Fire, hearing those happy words, rose up with Sita on his lap, radiant as the morning sun, with golden jewels and black curling hair, and he gave her back to Rama, saying: "O Rama, here is thy Sita, whom no stain has touched. Not in word or thought or look has Sita turned aside from thee. Albeit tempted every way, she did not think of Ravana even in her inmost heart. As she is spotless, do thou take her back." Rama, staying silent for a while, with shining eyes pondered the speech of Agni; then he answered: "Because this fair one dwelt long time in Ravana's house, she needed vindication before the assembled folk. Had I taken her unproved, the people would complain that Rama, son of King Dasharatha, was moved by desire, and set at naught social law. I know well that Sita's heart is set on me alone, and that her own virtue was her sufficient refuge from the assaults of Ravana; she is mine as the sun's rays are the sun's. I can no more renounce her, but rather it behoves me to obey your happy words." Thus the glorious son of Dasharatha regained his bride, and his heart was glad.
Then Sita, circumambulating Rama, standing with downcast eyes, approached the fire; with folded hands she stood and prayed: "Inasmuch as my heart has never turned from Rama, do thou, O Fire, all men's witness, guard me; since Rama casts me away as stained, who in sooth am stainless, do thou be my refuge." Then Sita went about the pyre and entered the burning flames, so that all, both young and old, assembled there were overcome with grief, and the noise of uttermost wailing and lamentation arose on every hand.
Rama stayed immovable and rapt; but the gods came down to Lanka in their shining cars and, folding their hands, prayed Rama to relent. "Thou that dost protect the worlds, why dost thou renounce the daughter of Janaka, leaving her to choose the death by fire? How can it be thou knowest not what thyself art? Thou wast in the beginning, and shalt be at the end: thou art first of all the gods, thyself the grandsire and creator. Why dost thou treat Sita after the fashion of a mere man?" said they. To whom Rama replied: "I know myself only as a man, Rama, the son of Dasharatha; now let the grandsire tell me who I am and whence I came."
Then Brahma answered: "Hearken, thou whose virtue lies in truth! O Lord, thou art Narayana, bearing disk and mace; thou art the one-tusked boar; thou goest beyond the past, the present, and the future; thine is the bow of Time; thou art creation and destruction; thou art the slayer of all enemies, thou the forgiveness and control of passions; thou art the refuge of all gods and hermits; thou art manifest in every creature, in cows and Brahmans, in every quarter, in sky and river and mountain-peak; a thousand limbs, a thousand eyes, a thousand heads are thine; thy heart am I, thy tongue Sarasvati; the closing of thy eye is night, its opening day: Sita is Lakshmi and thou Vishnu and Krishna. And, O Rama, now Ravana is slain, do thou ascend to Heaven, thy work accomplished. Naught shall they lack whose hearts are set on thee, nor fail who chant thy lay."
Then Fire, hearing those happy words, rose up with Sita on his lap, radiant as the morning sun, with golden jewels and black curling hair, and he gave her back to Rama, saying: "O Rama, here is thy Sita, whom no stain has touched. Not in word or thought or look has Sita turned aside from thee. Albeit tempted every way, she did not think of Ravana even in her inmost heart. As she is spotless, do thou take her back." Rama, staying silent for a while, with shining eyes pondered the speech of Agni; then he answered: "Because this fair one dwelt long time in Ravana's house, she needed vindication before the assembled folk. Had I taken her unproved, the people would complain that Rama, son of King Dasharatha, was moved by desire, and set at naught social law. I know well that Sita's heart is set on me alone, and that her own virtue was her sufficient refuge from the assaults of Ravana; she is mine as the sun's rays are the sun's. I can no more renounce her, but rather it behoves me to obey your happy words." Thus the glorious son of Dasharatha regained his bride, and his heart was glad.
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Then Sita, circumambulating Rama, standing with downcast eyes, approached the fire; with folded hands she stood and prayed: "Inasmuch as my heart has never turned from Rama, do thou, O Fire, all men's witness, guard me; since Rama casts me away as stained, who in sooth am stainless, do thou be my refuge." Then Sita went about the pyre and entered the burning flames, so that all, both young and old, assembled there were overcome with grief, and the noise of uttermost wailing and lamentation arose on every hand.
Rama stayed immovable and rapt; but the gods came down to Lanka in their shining cars and, folding their hands, prayed Rama to relent. "Thou that dost protect the worlds, why dost thou renounce the daughter of Janaka, leaving her to choose the death by fire? How can it be thou knowest not what thyself art? Thou wast in the beginning, and shalt be at the end: thou art first of all the gods, thyself the grandsire and creator. Why dost thou treat Sita after the fashion of a mere man?" said they. To whom Rama replied: "I know myself only as a man, Rama, the son of Dasharatha; now let the grandsire tell me who I am and whence I came."
Then Brahma answered: "Hearken, thou whose virtue lies in truth! O Lord, thou art Narayana, bearing disk and mace; thou art the one-tusked boar; thou goest beyond the past, the present, and the future; thine is the bow of Time; thou art creation and destruction; thou art the slayer of all enemies, thou the forgiveness and control of passions; thou art the refuge of all gods and hermits; thou art manifest in every creature, in cows and Brahmans, in every quarter, in sky and river and mountain-peak; a thousand limbs, a thousand eyes, a thousand heads are thine; thy heart am I, thy tongue Sarasvati; the closing of thy eye is night, its opening day: Sita is Lakshmi and thou Vishnu and Krishna. And, O Rama, now Ravana is slain, do thou ascend to Heaven, thy work accomplished. Naught shall they lack whose hearts are set on thee, nor fail who chant thy lay."
Then Fire, hearing those happy words, rose up with Sita on his lap, radiant as the morning sun, with golden jewels and black curling hair, and he gave her back to Rama, saying: "O Rama, here is thy Sita, whom no stain has touched. Not in word or thought or look has Sita turned aside from thee. Albeit tempted every way, she did not think of Ravana even in her inmost heart. As she is spotless, do thou take her back." Rama, staying silent for a while, with shining eyes pondered the speech of Agni; then he answered: "Because this fair one dwelt long time in Ravana's house, she needed vindication before the assembled folk. Had I taken her unproved, the people would complain that Rama, son of King Dasharatha, was moved by desire, and set at naught social law. I know well that Sita's heart is set on me alone, and that her own virtue was her sufficient refuge from the assaults of Ravana; she is mine as the sun's rays are the sun's. I can no more renounce her, but rather it behoves me to obey your happy words." Thus the glorious son of Dasharatha regained his bride, and his heart was glad.
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