After their journey through the forest, Rāma gently addressed Śabarī, the ascetic woman renowned for her steadfastness and revered among the accomplished. With warmth and concern, he asked, “Have the obstacles in your path been overcome? Is your austerity increasing? Is your anger restrained, and your food regulated, O possessor of ascetic wealth? Are your vows maintained? Is your mind at peace? Has your service to your teachers borne fruit, O gentle speaker?” Thus questioned by Rāma, Śabarī, elderly yet unwavering, replied with deep gratitude and reverence. “Today, by seeing you, I have attained the fruit of my austerities; today my birth is fulfilled and my teachers are well-honored. Today my practiced austerity is truly fruitful, and I shall attain heaven as well, for you, Rāma, best of men and god among men, have been worshipped here. By your gracious glance, O gentle one, I am purified; by your favor, O subduer of foes, I shall go to the eternal worlds. When you arrived at Citrakūṭa in radiant chariots, from there I ascended to heaven, having served you.” She continued, “By those great sages, knowers of righteousness and highly fortunate, I was told: ‘Rāma will come to your supremely holy hermitage. You must welcome him as a guest, together with Saumitri; and having seen him, you will attain the highest, eternal worlds.’ Thus instructed, I have gathered various offerings from the forest for you, O tiger among men, born on the banks of Pampā.” Then Rāma, recognizing Śabarī’s exclusion from society yet her deep knowledge, asked her about the true power of those great souls descended from the lineage of Danu. “I have heard of it, but I wish to see it directly, if you permit,” he said. Śabarī, eager to fulfill his wish, guided Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa through the forest. “Behold, dense as a rain cloud, teeming with beasts and birds. This is the forest of Mataṅga, renowned as such; here, my noble-minded teachers of great splendor performed sacrifices, building a sacred altar and worshipping with mantras. This is the altar facing east, where my honored teachers, hands trembling from exertion, offered flowers as tribute. By the power of their austerity, even now the altar shines with incomparable brilliance, illuminating all directions.” She showed them more wonders: “Unable to go further, exhausted by fasting and weariness, they mentally summoned the seven seas, which gathered here—behold them. After their ritual baths, they placed their bark garments on these trees; even now, O delight of the Raghus, they have not dried out in this place. The flowers offered by them, together with blue lotuses, do not wither, though these acts were performed long ago for the sake of the gods. You have now seen this entire forest and heard its story; so, with your permission, I wish to relinquish this body. I wish to go near those noble-minded sages, whose hermitage I served as an attendant.” Hearing her righteous words, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa felt incomparable joy and exclaimed, “How wonderful!” Then Rāma spoke to Śabarī, steadfast in her vows: “You have honored me, O good lady; go where you wish, as you please.” Receiving Rāma’s permission, Śabarī, clad in bark and antelope skin, offered herself into the sacrificial fire. She rose, radiant as blazing fire, adorned with divine ornaments and anointed with heavenly unguents and garlands. In celestial garments, lovely to behold, she illuminated that place like a flash of lightning. By her concentration, Śabarī reached that sacred abode where the virtuous great sages dwell. With Śabarī’s ascension, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa reflected together on the greatness of those noble souls. Rāma spoke to his steadfast brother, “O gentle one, I have seen the hermitage of those self-controlled sages, truly wondrous, where tigers and deer dwell together in trust, and many kinds of birds reside. At the sacred fords of the seven seas, O Lakṣmaṇa, we have performed ablutions and offered oblations to our ancestors. The inauspicious has been dispelled for us, and good fortune has come; because of this, my heart is gladdened, O Lakṣmaṇa. O tiger among men, an auspicious feeling arises in my heart; so come, let us go to that delightful Pampa lake. There, not far away, shines the Rishyamuka mountain, where the righteous Sugriva, son of the Sun, dwells. Ever fearful of Vali, he stays there with four other monkeys; I am eager to meet Sugriva, the foremost among monkeys. For the search for Sītā depends on him.” As Rāma spoke, Saumitri replied, “Let us go there quickly; my mind too urges me on.” Departing from the hermitage, the lord of men set out. Together, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa journeyed to Pampa lake, gazing all around at the flower-laden trees, ready for the next step in their quest.