Jain Journal 1972 01

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 39

LANUARY, 1972
117
counter against his own sons. The hostilities could no longer continue and Rama was happy to meet his own progeny.
[Here ends the great Apabhramsa epic as written by Svayambhudeva, the king of poets. The rest, known as Paumacariyu šesa is composed by Tribhubana, his son. This brings the great Rama Sita story to its end. Only the relevant portions from this is retold below.]
Sita's Ordeal and renunciation
Now Lavana and Ankusa entered Ayodhya and they were given a fitting reception. Hanumat and others now pleaded for Sita and pressingly urged for her reacceptance by Rama. Even Vibhisana who was present there offered the good offices of Trijata to testify Sita's innocence during her stay in Ravana's park. On Trijata's advice Rama decided to hold a fire ordeal in public to satisfy popular conscience. But Sita would neither agree to it nor was she keen to come back to Ayodhya. Vibhisana and others exerted their utmost to persuade Sita to accept the ordeal. So she was brought to Ayodhya. fire was lit and she was to enter into it and remain unburnt in order to establish her chastity. Sita faced the great fire unperturbed and enetered into it. But a miracle happened. As she entered the fire was transformed into a charming lake with aquatics joyfully swimming in it. A divine throne then appeared on it with Sita seated thereon. Sita had passed the ordeal and there was joy everywhere. Gods were beating drums in heaven. Such a universal rejoicing had never been witnessed in the past. The great assembly hailed Sita and all rallied towards her, led by her two great sons. All paid their homage to a chaste lady who had never succumbed to the temptation of the flesh even under most adverse circumstances but remained devoted to her husband in body and mind. Rama then offered ample apologies for the personal injustice he had done to his beloved and publicly announced his reacceptance of Sita. But by this time Sita had seen enough of life and she had no more attraction for it. Besides, her mission on earth had ended and so she expressed determination to renounce the world. All persuations to change her mind failed. Sita was ordained to the holy order by the monk Sarvabhusana. Rama was now a really lonely man and his only support and strength in the world was his beloved brother Laksmana.
Laksmana's death : Rama's loss of reason
One day it so happened that Indra in heaven was speaking to the gods about the merits of the human birth. For, said he, in human