महावीरचरितम् (महाकवि भवभूति - वीररस-प्रधान रामकथा नाटक सम्पूर्ण ७ अङ्क सटीक)

vii. 17¹—] Bhavabhūti — Uttara-Rāma-Charita [100
Lakshmaṇa—Oh, joy and wonder! Behold, behold, my noble brother!
Observing. Woe and alas! He has not even yet recovered his breath!
Then enter Arundhatī and Sītā.
Arundhatī—Haste, child, thou daughter of Videha's king! Away
with this thy bashfulness! Come and revive my dear [Rāma]
with thy hand, the touch of which is [so] dear [to him]. 18
Sītā, in flurry, touching Rāma—Let my noble Lord revive, and compose
himself.
Rāma, reviving, in joy—Oh, what can this be? Observing, with joyful
astonishment. Is it possible? my Queen! In confusion. Oh, and mother
Arundhatī—and Ṛishyaśṛiṅga and Śāntā and all our other gurus, all
beaming with joy!
Arundhatī—Dear [Rāma], here is the exalted Ganges, the Presiding-
divinity of the house of Bhagīratha;¹ she is gracious [towards thee].
[Voice,] behind the curtain—Dear Rāma, Lord of the world, call to mind
what thou saidst to me² when looking at the pictures: [Thou didst then
say—] ‘Be thou, therefore, O [divine] mother, towards this thy daughter-
in-law, Sītā, ever cherishing kindly thoughts—even like unto Arundhatī
[herself].’ I have acquitted myself of my duty therein.
Arundhatī—And here is thy mother-in-law, the exalted giver of all blessings
[the Earth].
[Voice,] behind the curtain—The long-lived one [Rāma] had said³ formerly,
when abandoning Sītā—‘O holy [Earth, thou] Giver of all blessings! This
thy virtuous daughter do thou regard with kindness—this daughter of
Janaka!’ So now I have, O Lord [of men], carried out thy words with
regard to my daughter [Sītā].
Rāma—How! Guilty of grievous offence though Rāma has been, have the
exalted [Goddesses really] shown him their favour [and sympathy]?
Salutes [them].
Arundhatī—Ye people from the city and from the country! Considering
that Pṛithivī and Bhāgīrathī have now [in your presence] commended her
and entrusted her to me, Arundhatī, and that formerly the holy Fire had
attested to her spotless character and Brahmā and all other Gods applauded
her—will you now accept [as your Queen] her, who is the dutiful daughter-
in-law of the Solar race and who is sprung from the [very] sacrificial
ground of the Gods? What do you, my worthy Sirs, think in regard
to this?
¹ For Bhagīratha, see note 6, p. 21. ³ See above, p. 29, near end.
² See above, p. 22, near the top.