309. Grief of Seetha and the consolation of Trijata.

           Seeing the inert bodies of her husband and the mighty Lakshmana, Seetha was very much shocked. She just could not believe that her dear hubby and his dear bro were dead. She started lamenting "The soothsayer, reading the marks and signs on my body, prophesied that I shall bear sons and WILL NOT be widowed. Now that Rama has been slain, their words have proved to be untrue. Since Rama is slain, all those astrologers, who predicted that I would participate as the consort of Rama in many great sacrifices that would be performed by him, are now proved to be utterers of falsehood. Now that Rama has been slain, all those sooth-sayers who predicted that I should be honoured by my husband as well as the wives of warriors and kings, are proved to be liars.
       "Now that Rama has been slain, all those astrologers who predicted that I would remain happy with my husband are proved to have spoken falsehood. I bear the marks of lotus on my soles by virtue of which high-born women are said to be consecrated on an imperial throne with their husbands and lords. I do not have any of the marks of ill-fortune which bespeak widowhood in women who are ill-starred. It seems that all the auspicious signs appear to be rendered void for me.

      "Those marks of the lotus said to be a good augury for women seem to be incorrect, now that Rama is slain. My hair is fine, black in colour and smooth. My eye-brows are disunited. My shanks are hair-less and well rounded. My teeth are contiguous, without any gaps between them. My temples, eyes, arms, feet, ankles and thighs are homologous and well-proportioned. My fingers have well-rounded with glossy nails with right length.

     "My breasts are close to each other, fully developed and have depressed nipples. My navel is deeply indented. My flanks and bosom are well-formed. My complexion has the sheen of a pearl. The hair on my skin are soft. It is said of me as endowed with auspicious signs, in that I touched the ground with my twelve limbs (viz. the ten toes and two soles).

       "Those who interpret the marks of youthful maidens spoke of me that my hands and feet are rosy, fully provided with marks each resembling a barley corn, devoid of space between my fingers and toes and that my smile is gentle. All that was told by brahmins well-versed in sooth-saying. They also predicted that I will be consecrated on the imperial throne along with my husband.

        "By means of magic arts, an invisible foe has slain Rama and Lakshmana, my protectors, who are equal to Indra in battle and I am now bereft of any support. Having reached the range of sight of Rama in a combat, no enemy could return alive. 

       "I do not repent so much for Rama and Lakshmana or for myself or even my mother but for my unfortunate mother-in-law, Kausalya. She, for her part, forever remains absorbed in the thought 'When shall I see Lakshmana and Seetha with Rama returned to Ayodhya having completed his vow of remaining in exile in the forest for fourteen years?'

      The kind kind-hearted rakshashsi Trijata  tried to console Seetha by "O, God-like lady! Do not despair. I am sure your husband, Rama is still alive. Let me tell you why I am so positive about it.

       "O, Seetha! This Pushpaka viman does not take any widow. Moreover, when the leader of an army is killed in the battle, his army looses courage and wanders aimlessly about on the battle field, like a ship which has broken its rudder in water. Now look at this vanara army which is neither confused nor perturbed and is guarding Rama and Lakshmana.

     "Be assured that Rama and Lakshmana are not dead.

     "Even suras and asuras along with Indra cannot vanquish these two heroes in battle. O Seetha! See this, a great marvel! See having fallen under those shafts and deprived of their senses, their beauty has not deserted them. Generally, the faces of those who lost their lives and whose vital power has vanished, will be appearing with an appalling alteration. O, Seetha! Banish your grief, pain and ignorance on account of Rama and Lakshmana. With the splendour seen in their faces, I am positive beyond any iota of doubt that Rama and Lakshmana ARE ALIVE."

      Hearing Trijata, Seetha, resembling a daughter of gods, with joined palms exclaimed, "May it be so."
           Then Seetha was dropped at the Ashoka vana. 

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