Spare a daughter's shame and anguish and receive her, Mother Earth!
Mother Earth! who bore this woman, once again receive thy child!
Mother Earth! relieve thy Sita from the burden of this life!
R. C. Dutt's trans.
When she had spoken thus, all who heard her wept and sorrowed. And while they gazed upon her with pity and tenderness, the earth suddenly yawned, and from its depths arose a golden throne sparkling with gems and supported by four great serpents, as a rose is supported by green leaves. Then the Earth Mother appeared and hailed Sita with loving words, and led her to the throne, on which she seated herself beside her sinless daughter, the faithful and undefiled wife of Rama.... The throne thereafter vanished and the earth closed over it.
So passed Sita from before the eyes of all mankind. Rama flung himself upon the ground in an agony of sorrow. But Brahma appeared and spake to him, saying: “Why dost thou despair, O Lord of all? Well thou knowest that life is but a dream, a bubble of water....”
Rama, however, even after the Aswamedha had been performed, continued to mourn until the Celestial bird Garuda came for him: then he ascended to heaven, as Vishnu, and found Sita, who was the goddess Lakshmi, the incomparable Sri.
So endeth the story of Rama, whose fame can never die.
FOOTNOTES:
[343] Among the Nilgiri mountains.
[344] These apes are the incarnations of the Vedic deities who sojourned on earth according to Vishnu's command.
[345] Also “Adam's Bridge”. The green Celtic fairies are similarly credited with making island chains and long jutting promontories which stretch out from opposite shores of arms of the sea.
[346] Like Hydra against which Hercules fought.
INDEX
Vowel Sounds.—ă, almost like u in fur; ai, like i in high; ä, as in palm; e, like a in late; ï, as e in he; ö, as in shore; ü, as in pull; u, as in sun.