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CHAPTER EIGHT enjoyment by voluptuous Daśāsya, either with consent or by force. The people say thus. We say likewise: that the rumor is in accord with probability. Do not endure it, Raghūdvaha. Do not stain your fame won from birth, spotless as your family, by enduring this slander.'
Learning that Sitä had become the guest of a stain, Rāghava became silent from grief at once. Generally, affection is very hard to abandon. Recovering firmness, Kākutstha said to the elders: “You did well to tell me. Devoted persons are never indifferent. Certainly I will not endure dishonor for the sake of a mere woman." With this promise, Padma dismissed the elders. At night Kākutstha left his house secretly and listened to the people's talk here and there. "Sītā was taken away by Rāvaņa and remained for a long time in his house. Sītā has been brought back by Rāma and he thinks she is a 'good wife.' How would it be possible that Sitā was not enjoyed by Råvaņa in love with her ? Räma has not thought about this. In love, he sees no fault." After hearing such censure of Sītā, Rāma went home and instructed his best spies to listen to it again.
Kākutstha reflected: "Has this happened to her for whose sake I made cruel destruction of the Rakşas-family? I know that Sītā is a virtuous wife; Rāvaņa is lustful; my family is spotless. Oh! What is Räma to do?" Quickly the spies listened to the censure of Sītā outside and told it very clearly to Rāma and his younger brother and the king of the Kapis and the king of the Rakşases.
Lakşmaņa, angered, said: "I shall be the death of the people who blame Sītā, a virtuous wife, making up faults from motives.” Rāma said: "I was told about this before by the town-elders. I heard it myself and a similar report has been made by the spies. They (the elders) heard it, came to me and said openly, 'Do not let the people speak ill about the abandonment of Sītā as about the claiming of her.'” Lakşmaņa said: "Do not abandon Sītā because of the people's talk. How
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