SaltyOcean

“At the time of a solar eclipse

1. Rama, 
2. along with Sita, and 
3. other relatives, 

mounted the Pushpaka vimaan (aircraft) and went to Kurukshetra to bathe.

1. The gods followed them, together with 
2. the Gandharvas, 
3. the Kinnaras, and 
4. the Pannagas. 
5. Sages from several hermitages and 
6. thousands of kings came as well. 

There, while the sun was eclipsed, Rama bathed along with Sita, and donated many

1. elephants, 
2. camels, 
3. horses and 
4. chariots to those gathered there. 

Then

1. the kings bearing many gifts came to visit Raghava, and 
2. the queens came to visit Janaki. Sita greeted the consorts of the kings and offered them honoured seats alongside her friends and wives of the sages. 

After accepting the hospitality offered by Sita, Lopamudra (wife of Agastya), hoping to please Sita, began,

‘O Sita, with eyes dark as the Kanja birds, and with a gait like an elephant, you are so fortunate. Do tell us something about Rama’s valour.’

At this request, Janaki narrated the story from the time of her wedding up to the visit to Kurukshetra.

Having heard the story, Lopamudra said to Janaki with a laugh, ‘O Sita, everything that the great-soul Archive did was proper . There is only one occasion on which I think he exerted himself in vain.

1. What was the purpose of undertaking the great effort of building the bridge? 
2. Why didn’t Raghava turn to the pot-born sage, Agasti? Agasti would have drunk the salt-ocean in just one moment and dried it up so that the monkeys would have been able to cross over easily. 
3. He made all those vanaras toil unnecessarily in the cause of building the bridge.’ 

On hearing this proud speech Sita laughed aloud and said to Lopamudra,

‘O great pativrata , Lopamudra, Raghava acted quite properly when he built the great bridge. I will tell you the reason. Listen with a steady mind. May all the assembled wives of kings also listen to what I have to say.

1. If Raghava had dried up the ocean by shooting an arrow, then it was feared that many beings would have been killed. 
2. Had Rama simply managed to fly across the ocean by air, then how would Ravana recognise Rama as human? 
3. Had he sought to arrive on the other shore of Lanka by riding on the back of Hanuman, then they would have said, ‘Where is Rama’s greatness in that?’ 
4. If you suggest that he should have swum across the ocean, the doubt raised would be, ‘How can one cross the piss of a brahmin?’ 
5. If Rama were indeed to request your husband, the pot-born sage to drink up the saltocean in one mouthful, then this is what Rama would have considered in his heart: True, we have heard that this ocean was once drunk by the angry Agasti, and then released through his urine, which is why it has since become salty. It is entirely salty just like urine, so how can Agasti deserve to drink it now? Even if at my request, the sage should indeed drink it up, then it is I who would be the butt of ridicule everywhere. They would point to me and say, this is that Rama who for the sake of his own selfish ends, commanded a brahmin to drink urine.’ It is because of this consideration that Rama, who is steadfast in dharma, did not request this of the sage. 
6. Thus has Rama conducted the bridge-building with great thought, in order to advance his fame. No one has done anything like it before, nor will they do again. 
7. Now the entire world knows him and speaks of him as “The one who made the rocks float on the ocean’.

With these words of Sita, Lopamudra was vanquished. She became embarrassed and remained silent for a moment before the assembly of women. Then with a laugh, Vaidehi placated Lopamudra. She also worshipped the other wives of sages and appeased them over and over again.

If have offended you today, great pativrata, please pardon my offence. Thanks to the occasion, and because of your friendship, I have ventured to speak of Rama’s valour in front of you. I know very well that Rama owes his valour to your husbands’ blessings.’ Having propitiated them thus, she bid farewell to all the sages’ wives.”

Sita as Rama’s Advocate Propriety in the Ananda-Ramayana
http://manushi.in/docs/7011.%20Sita%20as%20Ramas%20Advocate.pdf