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CHAPTER NINE
place for women, next to a husband's house. Rāma abandoned you because of the people's talk, but not of himself. I think even now he is unhappy, like you, from remorse. The son of Daśaratha, suffering alone like a cakravāka, miserable from separation, will soon search for
you."
He, unperturbed, spoke so to her and Sītā, consenting, got into the palanquin which he had brought to her at once. She went to Puņdarikapura, like another Mithilā. Day and night she remained piously in the house assigned to her.
Now Rāma's general went to Råma and said: "I have abandoned Janaki in the forest Sinhanināda. She fainted repeatedly and became conscious repeatedly. Finally recovering, she directed this message: 'In what place in the works on morals or in tradition is there such a principle: punishment of one party because of a fault alleged by another party? This order of yours without reflection, though you always act with reflection, is, I think, by fault of my fate. You are always free from fault. Do not abandon the religion of the Arhats because of the talk of wrong believers, as you have abandoned me, though innocent, because of the talk of mischievous persons.' Saying this, Sitā fell in a faint and, when she had recovered, she said, 'How will Rāma live without me? Alas! I am killed.'"
At hearing these words, Rāma fell to the ground in a faint and was sprinkled with sandal-water by Lakşmaņa who came in a hurry. Getting up, he said: "Where is Sītā, a virtuous wife? For she was deserted by me, alas! because of the talk of people always mischievous." Then Lakşmaņa said: "Master, now she is in the forest. A virtuous wife, surely she will be protected by her own power. Go and search and bring her yourself, lord, before Queen Sītā perishes from separation from you.”
Hearing this, Rāma went with the same general and Khecaras in an aerial car to that very cruel forest. At
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