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Kausalyā loved Sitā more than her own offspring, she said, "Truely, you are the crest jewel of the dynasty that you are born in and the dynasty that you are married into, but remember, Rāma is retiring to the woods to fulfil his father's promise. He is brave as a lion. He will easily get acquainted to the hardships of forest life, but you, my beloved daughter, have never ever been exposed to the austerities of forest life. The thorns that are found in abundance in the forest, will bleed your tender lotus feet. Will you be able to endure the unhindered wrath of nature like the scorching sun, bitter cold and the torrents of rain ? O pride of Aryavrata, when Rama helplessly sees you undergoing physical and mental pain, how will he feel? The Dharma commands you to be at your husband's side all the time. I, therefore, would not oppose your idea of accompaning your husband to the forest, yet, I will not grant you the permission, for the very idea of your sojourn in forest, makes my body tremble with fear and anxiety."
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UUTUUDIO
Sitā begs for permission to accompany Rāma
Sita, who was modesty personified, bowed down at the feet of King Dasaratha, with folded hands, and adressed Kausalya in a gentle voice, "Mother, can the body and soul exist without one another? Can nature and being be separated from each other? In the presence of the sacred fire, took the vow of being by my husband's side through thick and thin. Mother, my husband has decided to retire to the forest. He will live in humble shanty, eat only fruits and sleep on the modest bed of dry leaves, if he will be living an austere life, how can | live in this palace that offers every comfort, eat the best of the food and sleep on a comfortable bed. The dharma expects me to be at my husband's side during every ordeal. Therefore, grant me a permisasion to fulfil my duties as a wife."
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These utterances of Kausalya prove that she was a very down to earth person. She loved her daughter in law like her own daughter. She did not want Sita to suffer the hardships of jungle life, and yet, she did not refrain her from fulfilling her own duty as a wife. She knew that a man and his wife are inseparable as a body and its shadow. Therefore, though she did not grant Sita a permission to join Rama in forest, she didnt even oppose her decision either.
Most of the mothers, who shower selfless love and affection on their sons, treat the daughters-in-law as their bitterest enemy. They spare no efforts in turning the joys of their daughters-in-law into woes, but Kausalya was not an ordinary mother. She belonged to the clan of warriors, she was born in a virtuous family and was married into the dynasty of the first Jineśvara - the pioneer of culture and civilization. We therefore can
