Meet Sita with us. Possibly the most famous Celestial Goddess of the Hindu religion, discover her myths and legends.
Who is Sita?
Sita, the divine celestial goddess and wife of Lord Rama, is one of the most popular goddesses in the Hindu religion. She is the incarnation of Lakshmi, the wife of the supreme god Vishnu. Her husband Rama is the avatar of Lord Vishnu, his seventh incarnation. She represents the ideal wife, daughter and mother for the Hindu people, and is remembered for her fine attributes and revered for having the noblest qualities of women.
She is the female protagonist of the Ramayana Epic. The adopted daughter of kings Janaka and Sunaina, the young goddess married Lord Rama and accompanied him with devotion when he was exiled to the forest. She was later captured, imprisoned and finally rescued. Sita remained honorable during the tribulations of her life and finally escaped the cruelty of the world by returning to the arms of Mother Earth.
Sita Origin
The Hindu goddess was the abandoned natural daughter of Bhūmi, Mother Earth, and was discovered in a field. She was adopted by King Jananka of Mithila (now Nepal) and his wife, Queen Sunaina. Still young but of marriageable age, she began the preparation for her Swayamvara, a ceremony held in the palace for noble suitors to gather from far and wide, in the hope of being chosen by the princess to be her husband.
One day, as he was walking along the terrace of his room to get some air, he saw Rama standing below. Their eyes met and they fell in love at first sight. This seems appropriate, as it was the reincarnations of Vishnu and his wife Lakshmi who met once again. The Swayamvara begins with the arrival of the men, including Rama, his brother Lakshmana and the demon king of Lanka, Ravana, sporting his 10 ugly heads.
Shiva’s bow
As the legend explains, King Janaka had received a great bow as a gift from Lord Shiva. When Sita was small, Lord Parashurama (an avatar of the god Vishnu) admired her playing with the giant bow and advised Janaka to only allow his daughter to marry a man who could lift the bow. When the Swayamvara ceremony began, Janaka welcomed the suitors to the palace and explained that the man who could lift and string Shiva’s bow would have his daughter’s hand in marriage.
One by one, the kings and princes attempted the feat without success.When the arrogant Ravana’s turn came, he declared that he was so strong that he lifted the bow with the little finger of his left hand. That didn’t work very well, so he finally tried to lift it with both hands. After several attempts, he too admitted defeat. Finally Rama approached the task. He gracefully lifted the bow and hung it, surprising the watching crowd. Sita and Rama’s wedding took place soon after. She was happy because her wishes had come true and she was marrying her true love.
Sita and Rama’s exile
Rama, the eldest son of King Dasaratha, was the heir to the throne. When the plans to crown him were announced, Queen Kaikeyi was upset because his mind had been poisoned by an evil servant. Although at first she was overjoyed for her firstborn son, she later feared for the safety of another son, Bharata. Having previously received two favors from her husband for saving her life in battle, she called in her first favor and asked that Rama be sent into exile so that Bharata could be crowned in his place.
The abduction of the celestial goddess
The jealous and evil Ravana disguised his uncle by transforming him into a golden deer and sending him to the forest. Sita, enchanted by the beautiful animal, asked Rama to capture the deer and take it away. Hesitantly, she left, but made her brother promise to stay by Sita’s side. Rama went deeper into the forest, found the deer and readied his bow, but the deer cried out, imitating Rama’s voice, “Lakshmana, Oh Lakshmana” – a cry for help.
When she heard her husband’s cry, Sita begged her brother-in-law to help Rama, and was finally persuaded to do so, although she had promised not to leave his side. Now alone, the matchmaker was easy prey, and Ravana arrived disguised as a beggar. When she tried to help him, he grabbed her and put her in his chariot, to take her away. The two men returned to find her missing and began desperately searching the forest. They found a friend, Jatayu, an eagle, bleeding with clipped wings.
Saving Rama’s wife
Jatayu tried to fight Ravana and save Rama’s wife, but the monster left him helpless. He pointed the men in the right direction before taking his last breath. The Hindu celestial goddess was held captive in a garden guarded by demons. Ravana instructed them to help her convince her to marry him, but even after a year, she rejected their advances.
According to the Hindu texts, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Hanuman, the supernatural monkey and his army of monkeys, Vanara Sena helped Rama save his wife. After a long battle, Rama killed the demon and Sita was released from captivity. They returned to the kingdom, and the people demanded proof of her chastity, as she had been held for a year by Ravana. To prove herself, she walked through a fire and the embers turned into lotus flowers under her feet.
Story of the twin sons
Rama was crowned king, and Sita ruled with him for a short time until the people once again doubted her chastity. To appease them, Rama sent her back into exile, even though he was sure of her chastity and loyalty. He had her brother take her deep into the forest and leave her there alone. By then she was already pregnant and particularly vulnerable.
A kindly sage named Valmiki found the goddess, and brought her to his ashram where he cared for her. She eventually gave birth to twins, Luv and Kush. They learned to be great warriors under the sage’s tutelage, with a special talent for archery. Rama, on the other hand, missed his family terribly. To further prove his imperial authority, he began the Ashvamedha.
This was a ritual sacrifice in which a horse released to roam the kingdom and its environs for a whole year accompanied by the king’s soldiers. If no enemy killed or captured the horse, or won a battle with the warriors during that time, supreme sovereignty would be declared, could no longer be challenged, and the horse would be brought back home to be sacrificed.
The horse went into the forest and Luv and Kush quickly captured it. Rama sent his brothers to fight the twins and they returned defeated, so Rama stepped in to take them on himself. He expected to win easily, but he did not, and Rama was so impressed with the twins’ abilities that he invited them back to his palace. At that point, their identity was revealed and Rama was reunited with his own twin sons.
Returning to Mother Earth
Once her children were united with their father, Sita felt that the circle of her life’s mission was complete. Rama asked her to return to his side as his queen, but she no longer wanted to return to him or the kingdom. She appealed to Bhūmi, Mother Earth, to take her in her arms and release her from the sadness of her life. The earth opened and Mother Earth took Sita’s hand and gently led her into a better world, marking the end of Devi Sita’s avatar.
Modern Influence
Sita is still considered the ideal woman in India and Nepal today. Her virtue throughout her demanding existence exemplifies ideal female traits, although modernists also see her character as a weak woman who always required male protection and intervention. Her husband, Lord Rama, is worshipped as an ideal king who considered his people first.
The two remain popular deities today. They appear together in temples throughout India. The Ramayana that tells their story is an integral part of Hinduism. There are a few temples dedicated exclusively to Sita. The Janaki Mandir in Nepal is the site of the legendary wedding of Sita and Rama. Every year, there is a pilgrimage to the temple and their wedding is replicated in a festival called Vivaha Panchami.
