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Prakrit Verses in Sanskrit Works on Poetics
she got into a swoon.
1377. As the realisation of Rāma's death came to her she fell unconscious, the
pangs of separation disappeared, the grief of his death would not now affect her, a feeling of peace settled on her face and her eyes remained closed.
1378. Her deep breathing out was not noticed through even a slight heaving of
her chest, her big round breasts having concealed it; but her tremulous lip, however, showed that she was coming round.
1379. As she came round she was lying limp and listless on the ground, even
her breath came faintly and her eyes felt the effort of opening wide owing to the heavy tears gathered therein.
1380. The reference to Rāma's love and consideration for her struck her
unbearably like a stroke of lightning and in spite of her firm reslove to put an end to her life, the remembrance of his love sent her into loud and uninhibitd weeping like nothing else.
1381. Sītā (lit. the daughter of Janaka) began to lament giving vent to her grief
for Rāma upon her own body, with her plump and pale breasts stained with blood on account of blows with her own hands.
1382. Sītā [lit. the daughter of Janaka), then suddenly recovering herself, began
to speak again, wiping off the dust on her breasts, with her veņi (braided hair), waving on her bosom.
1383. In her agitation she raised her hands to beat her breasts; but in her fatigue
held them back and they fell on her lap without touching the breasts.
1384. She (i.e., Sīta) could not wipe her face with her distressed hand, which
had turned red, like a new leaf through the exertion of beating the breasts but somehow managed to brush aside the lock of hair on one cheek (to be able to look at the severed head of Rāma).
1385. Hovering between life and death and feeling bewilderd Sītā, the daughter
of Janaka, ignored the advice of Trijatā, but out of her feeling that Trijata's affection for her has been genuine like a friend's sank on her bosom.
1386. As she [i.e., Sītā) reclined sideways on Trijata's bosom, the tears from their
