CHIN. A plant of several parts of China, given dropsy, fevera, amenorrInea. Sisymbriunt iris, Khub, Kalan, Khakshi, IIIND. Small, oval, bright-yellow seeds. Used for coughs. Formerly used as a pot-herb in England.—Powelt.
SITA, (laughter of Janaka, king of Kosala, and wife of Rama. Rama was' the eon of Desaratha, of the Solar race, king of Ayodhya, now termed Oudh, a potent sovereign of Hindustan, who, having been banished by his father in conse quence of the machinations of his queens, retired to the banks of the Godavery, accompanied by his brother Lakshinana and his wife Sita, and lived in the neighbouring forests the austere and secluded life of an ascetic ; but Sita having been forcibly taken frotn him by Havana, the king of Lanka (Ceylon), Rama, with the aid of Sugriva, the sovereign of Carnata, invaded the kingdom of Ravana, and, having conquered him, placed his brother on the throne of Lanka in his stead. The
war seems to have been protracted, and its events are related in the Ramayana, one of the finest epic poems (in spite of many extravagances) ex tant, which beautifully describes the incidents of Rama's life, and the exploits of the contending foes. Sita was highly loved by her husband, who says she gave him excellent counsel, bore his im patience without a murmur, was as a mother to him in the time of need, and, a dear friend in time of joy. The Uttara-Kanda Pays Rama took back his wife on her own oath and the testimony of the gods as to her purity. But the Raghuvansa and the Uttara-Rania-Charita make her go through the fire ordeal. This is different frorn Menelaus, who took back his wife Helen after she had lived years with Paris.— TYard, p. 183.