Sitā having entered Rasātala, all the monkeys and Rishis repeatedly eulogised her before Rāma. Stricken with sorrow and grief and lowering down his head, Rāma, with eyes full of tears, face downwards, and a dejected mind, sat down. And being possessed by grief and anger and shedding tears he wept for some time and then said: — “My mind is about to be possessed by grief, which I had never experienced before, for in the very presence of mine the graceful Jānaki, like Lakshmi herself, hath disappeared from view. Formerly, in my absence, Jānaki was once carried away into the city of Lankā, on the other side of the great ocean and I brought her back; what wonder it is that I shall get her back from Patāla? O goddess Vasudha, do thou soon bring Sitā in my view, or else, worked up with ire I shall give thee the fruits of thy negligence. Thou art my mother-in-law, since the royal saint Janaka obtained Sitā from thy womb while cultivating thee with plough share. Do thou therefore bring back my Sitā or give me a region of the celestials, I wish to live with Sitā. I am beside myself for her: do thou therefore bring back Sitā. If thou dost not render back Sitā unto me O Vasudha, I shall deluge the earth with waters, having assailed, destroyed and drowned into water thy huge compass with mountains and forests.” Rāma, having given vent to those accents under the influence of ire, the patriarch Brahmā, with the consent of the celestials, said: — “O Rāma of firm vows, O slayer of enemies, thou shouldst not grieve thus. Recollect thy former state of Vishnu and the counsels. I would not have reminded thee of this secret but for the present necessity. Do thou now once more remember thy birth from Vishnu. By nature, Sitā is pure, chaste and ever dependent upon thee. And by virtue of her ascetic dependance upon thee she has gone to the region of Nāgas. Thou shalt again meet her in heaven. Hear, what I communicate unto thee before the assembly. Thou shalt be informed of everything by listening to this excellent poem describing thy own actions, O hero. Vālmiki has described herein all miseries and joys thou hast experienced since thy birth and what shall happen in future after Sitā’s entrance into Patala. O Rāma, this first epic poem, Rāmayan, has been composed describing thy works. None but thee is worthy of the fame of this poem. O Rāghava, O highly illustrious one, do thou hear with the Rishis, Uttarakandam, the last portion of this poem. O descendant of Raghu, this is not worthy of being heard by any but those who art the foremost of the royal saints.” Having said this, the deity Brahmā, the lord of the three worlds, with other deities, repaired to the region of immortals. The high-souled and the highly effulgent ascetics, living in Brahmā’s region, who were present in the assembly, obtaining Brahmā’s permission, waited there, to hear Rāma’s future career in the Uttarakandam. Hearing the words of the great Patriarch instinct with well-being, the highly effulgent Rāma said to Vālmiki: — “O illustrious sir, the Rishis living in Brahmā’s region have grown desirous of hearing my future history. So let it be taken up next morning.” Having thus settled and taken with him Kusa and Lava and sent away the assembled people he entered his palace and spent the night mourning for Sitā.