Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.1934

c9.1934

3) Anasūyā’s gift of clothes and ornaments. Daśaratha who had become old, wished to hand over the realm to Śrī Rāma. Since Kaikeyī stood as a hindrance, the kingdom fell into the hands of Bharata. Moreover Sītā had to live in the forest with Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa for fourteen years. In the early period of their forest-life they visited the hermitage of Atri. Seeing the devotion of Sītā towards her husband, Anasūyā the wife of hermit Atri, blessed her and gave her a fine garland, clothes and ornaments and cosmetics. Anasūyā blessed Sītā again and said that she would shine as Lakṣmī if she besmeared her body with the divine cosmetics. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, Sargas 118-120).