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1914.) JAINA GAZETTE.
283 2. Sati Smarak Ypahar. This is a beautiful picture in 5 colours printed at the Indian Press, Allahabad, illustrat. ing that memorable verse of the Ramayana, where Sita says:
मनसि वर्चास काये जागरे स्वप्न मार्गे,। मम यदि पति-भावो राधवादन्यपं सि ॥ तदिह दह शरीरं पावके मामकीनं । सुकृतविकृतनीतेदेव साक्षी त्वमेव ॥
Oh Lord, Thou alone art witness for the decision of right and wrong. Therefore burn this body of mine, here in fire, if I have in mind, word, or body, whether awake or asleep, taken anybody else escept (Ramachandra) the descendant of Raghu as my husband.
The chaste and virtuous Sita, the ever-living model of a Hindu wife, not only willingly but gladly, submitted to this ordeal by fire, when the people of Ajodhia began to talk in whispers of the impropriety of Rama taking in Sita back as a wife after she had been, all by herself, at the place of Ravana, the King of Ceylon, for six months. To redeem her own honour, and to keep unsullied even by a whisper the glory of Rama, Sita entered the huge burning pile of flaming fire and lo ! the leaping flames change into lotus petals and hosts of shining angels drop fragrant flowers on Sita Sati from their ærial cars above. Rama, and his 3 brothers, and the men and women of Ajodhia throng round the worshipful Sita and offer due obcisance to“ Sita the Chaste.”
The picture is taken from a manuscript copy of a Jain Ramayana, dated about 275 years back. This soul-inspiring souvenir of a memorable incident in the life of “Sita the Chaste" should be reverentially placed in every household and earnestly meditated upon by every lady, young or old, maiden, or married, rich or poor, high or low. This picture is published by Kumar Devendra Prasada, Jain, Arrah.
3. The special paryushan number of the Jainc Hitechhu is a stout volume of about 300 pages and we heartily congra. tulate the publisher on his circulating 4,000 copies of this
admirable volume at the phenominally low price of one anna Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
