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| SITA BEING EMBRACED BY
PRITHVI |
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| RAMA RETURNING TO AYODHYA
WITH HIS SONS |
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| RAMA - THE BENEVOLENT KING |
The sage Valmiki proceeded to the battlefield with Kusha
and Luv. Consecrating
with sacred spells the water in the vessel he carried, he sprinkled that water
on all the persons lying on the ground. All of them at once got up as if from
sleep. All of them prostrated at Valmiki's feet. The sage
made Luv and Kusha prostrate before Rama. Then he said, "O great king, you are very kind-hearted.
You always protect those who come to you in need. Please
do not be angry. These boys are your own sons. They are born to Sitadevi. They have now committed a
big mistake, when I was not in the hermitage. You must pardon them."
Rama asked Lakshmana, "Brother, did you not leave Sita in the forest?" "Yes,
I did. But I don't know what happened later," replied Lakshmana.
Then Valmiki clarified: "While in the jungle, by God's grace she was seen
by me. I took her to my hermitage. There she gave birth to these twin children.I taught the Vedas and archery to them." Valmiki sent Luv and Kusha to the
hermitage and had the Veena brought. As asked by their preceptor, the boys sang
the Ramayana to the accompaniment of the Veena. Their singing was so sweet, as
if the goddess of music was herself there. They recited the Ramayana from the
beginning to the end. Rama, his brothers and the retinue listened to it with
rapt attention, forgetting themselves. Rama's joy was boundless. He said to Lakshmana, "Brother,
in voice and speech, shape and beauty, these boys resemble to Sita." Lakshmana
smiled and replied, "Yes Brother, they are surely your sons. Otherwise how
could they get such strength as to defeat you? Please accept them."
Rama called the two boys to him. They went to him gladly. Rama drew them near
and embraced them. All the people around were happy. Valmiki
told Rama, "It's
time now you accepted Sita back. Please take her to Ayodhya."
Rama wanted to repeat the old fire ordeal in front of the
people of his kingdom to prove the fidelity of his wife. Sita was humiliated at
the thought of once again going through the ordeal to pure her fidelity. She
prayed to Mother Earth and asked her to take her in her lap if she was pure.
The Prithvi (the earth), the mother of Sita, opened her bosom and took back her
daughter to the great remorse and lamentation of Rama.
Rama consoled his sons and along with the army and his sons returned to Ayodhya.
Soon he installed his sons as the worthy rulers of Ayodhya and having completed
his mission Rama too left his material body and went back to his heavenly abode.
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