Although many of Rama’s adherents have perished in battle, he now proceeds to call them back to life, and graciously receives the praise they bestow upon him for having rid the world of demons.

  Soft from celestial minstrels came
  The sound of music and acclaim;
  Soft, fresh and cool, a rising breeze
  Brought odors from the heavenly trees;
  And, ravishing the sight and smell,
  A wondrous rain of blossoms fell;
  And voices breathed round Reghu’s son,
  “Champion of gods, well done, well done.”

It is only then that Rama consents to see Sita, who, thanks to her gift of eternal beauty, is still so lovely that all present are awed.  But, instead of embracing her, Rama coldly declares that, although he crossed the seas for her sake and slew her foes, she is no longer worthy to dwell in his sight since she has been an inmate of Ravana’s harem.  In vain Sita urges that she has been faithful throughout.  Rama refuses to credit her purity; so the poor little wife, preferring death to disgrace, begs permission to die on a funeral pyre.  Even then her stern husband shows no signs of relenting, but allows her to enter a fierce fire, whence the god of the flames bears her out unharmed, and restores her to her husband, declaring that, as her chastity has withstood this fiery test, he can receive her without compunction.

  She ceased and, fearless to the last,
  Within the flames’ wild fury passed.

By this time the prescribed fourteen years of exile are finished, so husband and wife set out for home, crossing the ocean bridge in Ravana’s magic car, and flying all over India, of which the poet gives a wonderful panoramic description.  Rama’s return to Oude is joyfully welcomed by his brother, who proudly shows him the golden sandals which have occupied the throne all this time.

Rama’s reign proves an Age of Gold for India, but, although all seem happy, some doubt lingers in regard to the propriety of Sita’s return.  When a famine finally devastates the land, one of the ministers assures Rama this scourge is due to the fact that he has taken back a guilty wife.  Rama, therefore, banishes 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.