They teach Hindus that sometimes sacrifices are made in order to maintain cosmic order. It can be argued that Sita's final decision to refuse to undergo the second ordeal of fire does not follow her stridharma, but her actions appear to be dharmic on a larger scale. The Ramayana can also be used to teach that "the many become one again" (Lecture, 9/23/15) when Sita asks to be returned to earth, which obviously, like dharma, maintains cosmic order. Although she does not show that she is attached to her stridharma in this act, she follows her varna dharma in freeing Rama from the suspicions of her people. This emphasizes that his duty to society is more important than his duty as a