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370
JAIN RAMAYAN
"Beloved people ! Do not you attach any value to your own words? You censured Sita spreading scandals and rumours against her. Though she was absolutely innocent, her character was stained by your scandals and rumours and she became a laughing-stock of the city. Though she was the empress of a vast empire, she became an object of derision and calumniation and now you are declaring that Sita is sublime. I wonder how Sita who according to you was then guilty and polluted could become sublime and unsullied. You yourselves used to say. "How could Sita remain pure having been in Ravana's palace for such a long time? Ravan, who is lusty would not have allowed Sita to remain pure." These scandals were spread by you. When that is so how can you say today that Sita is noble? In the same changeful manner, you may say sometime later, "No. No. Sita is not pure.” Who can prevent you from saying such things? Therefore, in order to convince you fully of her purity and in order to prevent all future doubts and fears regarding her character, I have decided to subject her to the fire-ordeal. In the presence of all of you. she will enter blazing fires."
"No. No. Dear King ! Kindly do not commit that enormity,” all the people said in a voice full of anguish.
“No. That is impossible. Sita will go through the fire-ordeal. On account of your insistence and on account of the false accusations made by you against her, I abandoned her and sent her to the terrible forest of Simhaninad. Today, I will subject her to the fire ordeal so that her chastity may be proved."
At once, the news that Sita would go through the fire ordeal spread throughout the city of Ayodhya like wild-fire. Eveyone said the same thing, “Sita will enter fire tomorrow and prove her purity before the people.” The members of the royal family were stunned to hear this news.
Shri Ram ordered his men :
"Let a large pit three hundred feet long and three hundred feet wide be dug. It must have a depth of about twelve feet.
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