Rama, when duly crowned at Ayodhya, enters upon a life of quiet
enjoyment with his wife Sita. The love of Rama and Sita, purified by
sorrow during the late exile, is most tender.
After a stay of a few days at Ayodhya, Janaka, the father of Sita, goes
back to his country Mithila. Rama consoles his queen for her father's
absence. The sage Ashtavakra comes in and delivers a message to Rama
from his spiritual preceptors to satisfy the wishes of Sita and please
his people. Then the sage goes away.
The family priest Vasishtha, having to leave the capital for a time to
assist at a sacrifice, utters a few words of parting advice to Rama,
thus:--
"Remember that a king's real glory consists in his people's welfare."
Rama replies: "I am ready to give up everything, happiness, love,
pity--even Sita herself--if needful for my subjects' good."
In accordance with this promise, he employs an emissary named Durmukha
to ascertain the popular opinion as to his own treatment of his
subjects.
Lakshmana now asks Rama and Sita to come out and see their early history
drawn on the terrace of the palace. They move about and the different
parts of the picture are shown to Sita, when the eyes of Sita turn on
the 'yawn-producing' weapons. Rama asks her to salute them so that they
would attend also on her children. Sita then feels tired and lays her
head on the arm of her husband and sleeps.
Then Durmukha, who, as an old and trusted servant, had free admission to
the inner apartments, comes and whispers to him that people condemn his
receiving back a queen, abducted by a fiend, after her long residence in
a stranger's house. In short, he is told that they still gossip and talk
scandal about her and Ravana. The scrupulously correct and
over-sensitive Rama, though convinced of his wife's fidelity after her
submission to the fiery ordeal, and though she is now likely to become a
mother, feels himself quite unable to allow the slightest cause of
offence to continue among his subjects.
He has no other resource. People must be satisfied. He orders his dear
Sita's exile, and the messenger goes away to deliver the order to
Lakshmana to seclude her somewhere in the woods. He is torn by
contending feelings. He is overpowered with grief, withdraws his arm
from his sleeping wife and pours forth pathetic lamentation. Then he
takes up her feet and cries when the announcement of the arrival of
frightened Rishis makes him go out to send Satrughna to their succour.
The messenger Durmukha then enters and takes Sita unsuspectingly to
mount the chariot which is to lead her to exile.
Lakshmana takes Sita to the forest and leaves her there.
She is protected by divine agencies. Her twin sons, Kusa and Lava, are
born and entrusted to the care of the sage Valmiki, the author of the
Ramayana, who brings them up in his hermitage. The boys have no
knowledge of their royal descent.
An incident now occurs which leads Rama to revisit the Dandaka forest,
the scene of his former exile. The child of a Brahman dies suddenly and
unaccountably. His body is laid at Rama's door. Evidently some national
sin is the cause of such a calamity, and an aerial voice informs him
that an awful crime is being perpetrated; for a Sudra, named Sambuka, is
practising religious austerities, instead of confining himself to his
proper vocation of waiting on the twice-born castes. Rama instantly
starts for the forest, discovers Sambuka in the sacrilegious act and
strikes off his head. But death by Rama's hand confers immortality on
the Sudra, who appears as a celestial spirit, and thanks his benefactor
for the glory and felicity thus obtained.
Before returning to Ayodhya, Rama is induced to visit the hermitage of
the sage Agastya in Panchavati. Sita now reappears. She is herself
invisible to Rama through the favour of the Bhagirathi but able to
thrill with emotions by her touch. Rama is greatly distracted.
He faints with old remembrances but revives on the touch of Sita. He
observes, "What does this mean? Heavenly balm seems poured into my
heart; a well-known touch changes my insensibility to life. Is it Sita,
or am I dreaming?"
He vainly seeks for her possession, but at last goes away on the advice
of his companion Visanti.
The sage Valmiki makes great preparations for receiving Vasishtha,
Janaka, Kaushalya, the mother of Rama and other eminent guests. The
pupils are delighted because the visit of the guests affords hopes of a
feast at which flesh meat is to constitute one of the dishes.
As the boys have got a holiday in honour of the guests, they are playing
at some distance from a tree outside the hermitage. Among them,
Kaushalya notices a boy with the features of her son, who is called in
but whom the guests do not yet know to be a son of Rama.
Soon after, the horse of the horse-sacrifice of Rama comes near and he
goes out with other boys to see the fun while the elders go to see the
host.
The attendant soldiers cry out that Rama is the only hero of the world.
Lava--for such is the boy's name,--cannot brook such vaunts and removes
the banner. Soldiers crowd upon him and Lava draws his bow. Lakshmana's
son Chandraketu--the general of the army--arrives surprised at the
slaughter of his army and asks Lava to leave the incapable army and
fight with himself. Lava obeys the call and after some conversation in
which he ridicules the powers of Rama and infuriates his antagonist,
they go out to fight.
The discharge and repulsion of the divine weapons occur.
The approach of Rama puts an end to the contest. Lava's elder brother
Kusa has heard of his fight and comes to "eradicate from the world the
name of emperor." But Lava has become calm and asks his brother to pay
respects to the hero of the Ramayana.
Rama embraces both of them and is moved with their son-like touch. He
notices in them the features of his wife He knows that his children
alone could possess the divine weapons. He recollects that his wife was
left in that part of the forest and instinctively comes to the
conclusion that they are his children. He wishes to ask about their
birth in a roundabout way, but before proceeding to the end, is asked to
see his spiritual preceptor.
The desertion of Sita is acted by nymphs on the banks of the Ganges
before Rama and other high guests invited by Valmiki.
Sita, from behind the stage, cries out "the beasts of prey desire [to
devour] me in the forest (left) alone and unprotected. I will throw
myself into the Bhagirathi." She enters supported by her mother
Prithivi, the Earth and Ganga, each carrying a baby in the lap. Ganga
tells her of the birth of the twins and consoles her, but Earth is
greatly distressed with the conduct of Rama. Ganga replies "who can
close the door of Fate?"
But Earth says, "has it been proper for the good Rama? He disregarded
the hand he pressed when a boy. He disregarded me and Janaka. He
disregarded Fire (who shewed her purity). He disregarded the children
she was about to bring forth."
But Ganga pacifies her and they agree to make over the children to
Valmiki, when they become a little old. Earth then asks her daughter to
come to the nether world, to which she agrees and with their exit closes
the play.
At the close of the play, Rama faints. Then the real Sita enters with
Arundhuti, the wife of Rama's preceptor and touches and revives her
husband. The people are satisfied with her purity and Rama takes her
back with the children who are introduced by Valmiki. The husband and
wife are thus re-united after twelve years of grievous solitude, and
happiness is restored to the whole family. The re-union is witnessed not
only by the people of Ayodhya, but by the congregated deities of earth
and heaven.