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this. But meat was not prohibited for
Kshatriyas. Indeed, it has always been the
rule
in
India
to
permit
any
food
legitimately obtained and consecrated as a
sacrifice. Rama was a Kshatriya and he
lived in the forest in the Kshatriya way,
though abstemiously.
The following morning Rama woke up
Lakshmana and said: "Listen, the birds are
singing to the morning sun. It is time for
us to start."
The popular story that Lakshmana
spent the whole period of forest life
without food or sleep is not found in
Valmiki.
Sometimes,
even,
through
fatigue Lakshmana did not get up quite
early in the morning and Rama had to
rouse him from slumber!
They performed their ablutions and
worship and resumed their journey in the
path indicated by Bharadwaja. The season
was summer and the trees and plants were
ablaze with multi colored flowers. The
branches bowed under the weight of fruits
and blossoms.
Rama pointed out the beauty of the
forest to Sita from time to then, saying as
they walked: "How beautiful is the forest
unspoilt by human interference! Look at
the beehives hanging there! Look at the
ground
entirely
covered
with
fallen
flowers!
Listen
to
the
birds!
How
beautifully they sing to one another and
live in joy! Life would indeed be pleasant
if we could always enjoy such sights and
sounds."
Then they saw at a distance the
Chitrakuta hill. They were glad and began
to walk briskly towards it. "How beautiful
this region is!" exclaimed Rama. "The
forest here has fine edible roots and fruits.
The water is clear and sweet. Rishis dwell
in ashramas in this forest and we may
most certainly live happily here in their
holy company."
They proceeded to put up an ashrama
there for themselves. Lakshmana was a
clever workman. He soon constructed a
strong hut, which was weather-proof and
made
it
comfortable
and
convenient.
Single-handed, he completed the mud hut
with windows and doors all made of
bamboos and jungle material.
Kamban and Valmiki vie with each
other in their accounts of this episode.
Kamban says that when Lakshmana had
completed the structure, Rama embraced
him weeping and asked him: "When and
how did you learn all this?" One can
imagine the scene.
Rama, his eyes filled with tears of joy,
said, according to Kamban: "The flower-
soft feet of the Princess of Mithila have
traversed the hard forest floor. If her feet
have done a wonder, why, Lakshmana,
your hands too have wrought a miracle of
house-building! I have seen today the gain
that is in misfortune."
Here, beside the lovely Chitrakuta hill,
on the bank of the river Malyavati, in that
cottage the three young people lived, free
from
care,
performing
their
daily