came as beautiful as the autumnal welkin spangled with
stars. And rising up from the ground, the blessed and famous princess of
Videha, in the midst of those present spoke unto Rama of wide chest,
these words, "O prince, I impute no fault to thee, for thou art well
acquainted with the behaviour that one should adopt towards both men and
women. But hear thou these words of mine! The ever-moving Air is always
present within every creature. If I have sinned, let him forsake my
vital forces! If I have sinned, Oh, then let Fire, and Water, and Space,
and Earth, like Air (whom I have already invoked), also forsake my vital
forces! And as, O hero, I have never, even in my dreams, cherished the
image of any other person, so be thou my lord as appointed by the gods."
After Sita had spoken, a sacred voice, resounding through the whole of
that region, was heard in the skies, gladdening the hearts of the
high-souled monkeys. And the Wind-god was heard to say, "O son of Raghu,
what Sita hath said is true! I am the god of Wind. The princess of
Mithila is sinless! Therefore, O king, be united with thy wife!" And the
god of Fire said, "O son of Raghu, I dwell within the bodies of all
creatures! O descendant of Kakutstha, the princess of Mithila is not
guilty of even the minutest fault!" And Varuna then said, "O son of
Raghu, the humours in every creature's body derive their existence from
me! I tell thee, let the princess of Mithila be accepted by thee!" And
Brahma himself then said, "O descendant of Kakutstha, O son, in thee
that art honest and pure and conversant with the duties of royal sages,
this conduct is not strange. Listen, however, to these words of mine!
Thou hast, O hero, slain this enemy of the gods, the _Gandharvas_, the
_Nagas_, the _Yakshas_, the _Danavas_, and the great _Rishis_! It was
through my grace that he had hitherto been unslayable of all creatures.
And indeed, it was for some reason that I had tolerated him for some
time! The wretch, however, abducted Sita for his own destruction. And as
regards Sita, I protected her through Nalakuvera's curse. For that
person had cursed Ravana of old, saying, that if he ever approached an
unwilling woman, his head should certainly be split into a hundred
fragments. Let no suspicion, therefore, be thine! O thou of great glory,
accept thy wife! Thou hast indeed, achieved a mighty feat for the
benefit of the gods, O thou that art of divine effulgence!" And last of
all Dasaratha sa