Taking with them the Brahmans, the ministers, the queen-mothers, the guru and some others chosen from the people, Bharata, Lakshmana and Raghunatha proceeded to the holy retreat.

Sita came and touched the sage’s feet and received the fair blessing that her heart desired. Then she greeted the guru’s wife (Arundhati) and the wives of other sages with inexpressibly great affection.

Sita did reverence to the feet of each in turn and received their benediction dear to her heart. When Sita saw al the queen-mothers, the tender girl closed her eyes and shuddered.

They appeared to her like so many female swans fallen into the clutch of a flower; what a cruel thing, she thought, God has done! As they gazed at Sita, they too were distressed beyond measure; one must endure, they thought, all that fate imposes.

Then Sita, Janaka’s daughter, took courage and with her dark lotus eyes suffused with tears she went and embraced all her mother-in-law; and at that hour the earth was enveloped in pity.

Sita touched the feet of all by turns and greeted them with the utmost affection; and from their hearts came the loving benediction: ‘May you ever remain a happy wedded wife!’

Finding Sita and all the queen-mothers thus affectionately perturbed, the learned guru bade them all be seated. Then the lord of sages expounded to them the impermanent, illusory nature of the world and discoursed a little upon spiritual matters.