hes the faithful Sita, who returns
to the forest and to the protection of the hermits, where she gives
birth to twin sons, Kusa and Lava, the destined singers of Valmiki's
wonderful song. These youths are, however, brought up in the forest in
total ignorance of their august descent.

Twenty years have passed since Rama repudiated his wife, when he
decides to offer a horse sacrifice. But, the steed he selects having
been captured by two young men, Rama angrily orders them put to death.
As the victims resist all efforts to seize them, the king in person
goes forth to capture them. On approaching near enough, he haughtily
demands their names and origin, whereupon the youths rejoin their
mother is Sita and their tutor Valmiki, but that they do not know
their father's name. These words reveal to Rama that he is face to
face with his own sons, but, although he rejoices, he still finds it
difficult to believe Sita can have been faithful. He, therefore, avers
that before reinstating her she will have to undergo a second trial
by fire; but Sita, who no longer feels any desire to belong to so
heartless a spouse, flatly refuses to accompany him, until Valmiki
informs her it is a wife's duty to obey.

Still wearing the crown of eternal youth and beauty, Sita now appears
before Rama, in whose presence she implores the earth to open and
receive her, thus proving that she has ever been true to her marriage
vows and saving her from further suffering. A moment later the king
and his court see the earth heave and open, and behold the goddess of
the earth, who, taking Sita by the hand, announces she is about to
convey her to realms of eternal bliss. Then Sita and the goddess
disappear, the earth closes once more, and the gods chant the praises
of the faithful wife, showering flowers upon Rama, who grovels on the
ground in his agony. A broken-hearted man, he then returns to his
palace with his two sons, the first to sing this poem, whose verses
are so sacred that those who listen to a few of them are forgiven many
sins, while those who hear the whole epic are sure to achieve
Paradise.

He shall be
From every sin and blemish free:
Whoever reads the saving strain,
With all his kin the heavens shall gain.

Because the poem is so sacred, its author enjoined upon the youths to
recite it often, a task they faithfully performed as long as they
lived, and which other bards have continued until to-day in all parts
of