Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## The Forty-Third Chapter
Seeing those sages, Rama and Lakshmana were struck with fear and stood still for a moment. Sita, filled with fear, clung to her husband. Rama, instantly dismissing his fear, reassured her, saying, "Do not be afraid."
Approaching them, Rama and Lakshmana drove away the snakes and scorpions that kept returning, using the tip of their bows. Sita, filled with devotion, washed the feet of the sages with water from the waterfall, anointing them with a fragrant paste. She then adorned them with flowers from the nearby vines, fragrant with the scent of the forest, which Lakshmana had plucked.
Those who were adorned with lotus buds on their foreheads, and who were experts in the rituals, bowed to the sage with devotion. Rama, holding the beautiful Veena like a charming woman, played it, singing in a sweet voice with the most beautiful and melodious words. Lakshmana, like a tree embraced by a creeper of Lakshmi, sang along, his voice like the sweet melody of a cuckoo.
They sang: "Those who are masters of great yoga, who are steadfast and possess noble qualities, who have attained the supreme, unblemished, and world-renowned Arhat, free from all comparisons, through their good fortune; who have broken the rock of great delusion with the staff of meditation; who consider the world as a beggar, devoid of the practice of Dharma; such sages are worthy of being honored by the gods, with their minds, heads, and words."
As Rama and Lakshmana, experts in the art of singing, sang these words, even the hearts of the animals were softened. Then, Sita, who knew all the graceful dance forms, adorned with beautiful ornaments like necklaces and garlands, displayed her graceful movements with perfect ease. She was skilled in expressing emotions through gestures, her beautiful arms swaying like vines, and her breasts trembling slightly as she changed rhythms.