Being addressed thus, Vaidehi, beloved and sweet speeched, spoke unto
her husband the following words, offended as it were on account of her
great affection. "Is it that thou speakest me thus, thinking me, no
doubt, mean minded? I can not but laugh at thy words, Oh best of men;
what thou hast said is not becoming of a mighty prince versed in
military arts and is really very opprobrious and infamous. What more, it
is not proper even to hear them. Oh dear husband, father, mother, son,
brother, daugther-in-law, all of them abide by the consequences of their
own actions, it is the wife alone, Oh best of men, that shares the fate
of her husband; it therefore that ever along with thee I have been
ordered to live in the forest. Neither father, mother, son, friends, nor
her ownself is the stay of a woman in this or in after life, it is the
husband alone that is her only support. If dost thou repair to-day unto
the forest impregnable, I shall go before thee, Oh Raghava, treading
upon the thorns and prickly grass. Confident do thou take me with thee,
Oh great hero, renouncing jealousy and indignation, like unto water left
after drinking; there exists no sin in me that could justify forsaking.
Unto woman is preferable under all circumtances the shade of her
husband's feet to the tops of a palace, the celestial car or excursion
in the airy path.[131] I have been taught by my father and mother to
follow my husband in all conditions of life; and I shall carry out now
what I have been taught; I shall not abide by any other counsel. I shall
wend my way unto the forest impassable, devoid of men. inhabited by
various deers, tigers and other voracious animals. Happily shall I live
there as if in my paternal house, giving no thought upon the prosperity
of the three worlds, thinking only of the services that are to be
rendered unto my husband. I shall sport with thee, Oh great hero, in
that forest impregnated with the fragrance of flowers, tending thee
constantly, having my senses subdued, and being engaged in austere
performances. Oh great hero, capable art thou to maintain many thousand
others in the forest, what of me. Surely shall I go to-day to the forest
with thee; there is no doubt about it and thou shalt not be able, Oh
great hero, to dissuade me from so doing. Undoubtedly I shall always
live upon roots and fruits; living with thee always I shall not bring
about thy affliction. Always I shall precede thee when walking, and
shall take my repast after thou hast taken it. Willing am I to view
mountains, rivulets, lakes and ponds. Being fearless in thy company, Oh
my intelligent husband and great hero, I shall behold on all sides ponds
filled with wild geese and ducks and beautified with a collection of
fullblown lotuses, and shall bathe there every day, pursuing the same
vow with thee. And greatly gratified, I shall, Oh thou having expansive
eyes, amuse there with thee, in this manner, even for hundred or
thousand years. I shall never experience the reverse of fortune,
inasmuch as I do not like to live in the abode of celestials, Oh
Raghava, if I am to dwell there without thee; no, it is not pleasing
unto me, Oh best of men. I shall go there in that dense forest full of
deers, monkeys and elephants and live there as if under my paternal roof
cleaving unto thy feet and abiding in thy pleasure. Do thou accept my
entreaty whose heart is entirely thine, knows none else, and is ever
attached unto thee, and who am resolved to die if forsaken by thee; thus
repairing I shall be in no way a burden unto thee". That best of men,
reluctant to take Sita with him, who had spoken thus and who was greatly
attached to virtue, related unto her about the many miseries consequent
upon dwelling in the forest, with a view to prevent her from following
him.
[131] It was generally believed that by certain processes of _Yoga_ one
acquired power to fly in the air.--T.