Rama Vijaya

80 Eamavijaya.

the forest, and it was you who killed your husband, Dasha-
ratha. I now still advise you to be a good woman and
trust, you will love Rama and Lakshuman as your sons,
Bharat and Shatrughna." Soon after, Rama, Sugriva,
Vibhishan, and all other kkgs returned to their respective
armies. Only Maruti always remained with Kama. lla-
ma reigned in Ayodya for eleven thousand years and all
his subjects were happy under his reign and led a very
pious life.

Sita was in the farmily way for the first time, and
when she passed six months, Rama took her to his pleasant
garden, where they spent some time in pleasure. While-
they were there, Rama said to Sita, u My sweet heart,
you have now passed six months of your pregnancy. Just
let me know what you like to enjoy. I am ready to
gratify any of your desires." " My love, what I want to
enjoy is this," replied Sita, " that you and I should go to
a forest where Rishis live, and eat Jcandamuls"^ there, and
sleep on the bed of Trana% on the ground.*' When Sita
expressed her desire, he said to himself, ** Lo, she suffered
so much in the forest and yet she likes to go to a forest."
So saying to himself he returned home with her. A few
days before Rama went to the garden he had ordered his
officers to go round the city at night and hear whether his
subjects spoke ill of him. The officers, who had gone round
the city, came to Rama and said to him, u We went to
every door successively for some days and found that
all your subjects spoke well of you except one washerman
called, Rajaka, who scandalized you. One day this Rajaka
beat his wife, and consequently she ran to her parents' house
without his knowledge. Her father intervened and came to
the house of his son-in-law with his daughter and requested
him to admit her into his house, when Rajaka said, * I will
never admit her into my house> lam not that Rama,
f Esculent roots. J Grass,