Sita: Difference between revisions

| affiliation = [[Avatar]] of [[Lakshmi]], [[Devi]], [[Panchakanya]]

| dynasty = [[Kingdom of the Videhas|Videha]] ''(by birth)''<br />[[Raghuvanshi]]-[[Ikshvaku dynasty|Ikshvaku]]-[[Suryavansha|Suryavanshi]] ''(by marriage)''

| parents = [[Janaka]] (adoptive father)<br> Sunayana (adoptive mother)<br>[[Bhūmi]] (spiritual mother)

| siblings = [[Urmila]] (sister)

| festivals = Sita Navami, Janaki Jayanti, [[Vivaha Panchami]], [[Diwali]], [[Dussehra]]

| birth_place = [[Kingdom of the Videhas|Mithila]]{{efn|Either present-day [[Sitamarhi district]], [[Bihar]], [[India]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/bihar/rs-48-5-crore-for-sita-s-birthplace/cid/1440819|title=Rs 48.5 crore for Sita's birthplace|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref><ref name="telegraphindia.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/bihar/hot-spring-hot-spot-fair-begins-on-magh-full-moon-s-day/cid/1544104|title=Hot spring hot spot - Fair begins on Magh full moon's day|website=www.telegraphindia.com|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref><ref name="Sitamarhi">{{cite encyclopedia | url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/546790/Sitamarhi | title=Sitamarhi | encyclopedia=Britannica | access-date=30 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="History of Sitamarhi">{{cite web | url=http://sitamarhi.bih.nic.in/profile/index.htm | title=History of Sitamarhi | publisher=Official site of Sitamarhi district | access-date=30 January 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220171523/http://sitamarhi.bih.nic.in/profile/index.htm | archive-date=20 December 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> or Present-day [[Janakpur]], [[Province No. 2]], [[Nepal]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sacredsites.com/asia/nepal/janakpur.html|title = Janakpur}}</ref>}}

| other_names = <!--Only significant and notable names should be included.-->Siya, Janki, Maithili, Vaidehi, Bhumija

'''Sita''' ({{Lang-sa|सीता}}; {{IAST3|Sītā}}, {{IPA-sa|ˈsiːtaː|Pron}}) is a [[Hindus|Hindu]] goddess and the heroine of the Hindu epic, ''[[Ramayana]]'', and [[Versions of Ramayana|its other versions]]. She is described as the daughter of [[Bhūmi]] (the earth) and the adopted daughter of King [[Janaka]] of [[Videha]] and his wife, Queen Sunayana. She has a younger sister, [[Urmila]], and the female cousins [[Mandavi]] and [[Shrutakirti]].<ref name="Sutherland AOS">{{cite web|last=Sutherland|first=Sally J.|title=Sita and Draupadi, Aggressive Behavior and Female Role-Models in the Sanskrit Epics|url=http://sseas.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/files/sita_and_draupadi.pdf|publisher=University of California, Berkeley|access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref><ref name="Parmeshwaranand">{{cite book|author=Swami Parmeshwaranand|title=Encyclopaedic Dictionaries of Puranas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FdIkaccgneAC&pg=PA1210|access-date=31 July 2012|publisher=Sarup & Sons|isbn=978-81-7625-226-3|pages=1210–1220|date=2001-01-01}}</ref> Sita is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, courage and purity.

Sita, in her youth, chooses [[Rama]], the prince of [[Ayodhya]] as her husband in a swayamvara—bride choosing the best from a crowd of suitors after a contest, where Rama proves his heroism and valor and martial power and "defeats" the other seekers for Seeta's hand in marriage. After the swayamvara,  she accompanies her husband to his kingdom, but later chooses to accompany her husband, along with her brother-in-law [[Lakshmana]], in his exile. While in exile, the trio settles in the [[Dandaka]] forest from where she is abducted by [[Ravana]], the [[Rakshasa]] king of [[Lanka]]. She is imprisoned in [[Ashoka Vatika]] in Lanka until she is rescued by Rama, who slays her captor. After the war, in some versions of the epic, Rama asks Sita to undergo Agni Pariksha (an [[Trial by ordeal#By fire|ordeal of fire]]) by which she proves her purity before she is accepted by Rama, which for the first time makes his brother Lakshmana get angry at him.

In some versions of the epic, [[Maya Sita]], an illusion created by [[Agni]], takes Sita's place and is abducted by Ravana and suffers his captivity, while the real Sita hides in the fire. Some scriptures also mention her previous birth being [[Vedavati]], a woman Ravana tries to molest.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2014-04-10|title=The haughty Ravana|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/the-haughty-ravana/article5897460.ece|access-date=2020-07-02|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> After proving her purity, Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya, where they are crowned as king and queen. One day a man questions Sita's purity and in order to prove her innocence and maintain his own and the kingdom's dignity, Rama sends Sita into the forest near the sage [[Valmiki]]'s ashram. Years later, Sita returns to the womb of her mother, the Earth, for release from a cruel world as a testimony of her purity after she reunites her two sons [[Kusha (Ramayana)|Kusha]] and [[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]] with their father Rama.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/78 78]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref>

According to ''Ramayana'', Janaka found her while ploughing as a part of a [[yagna]] and adopted her. The word ''Sīta'' was a poetic term, its imagery redolent of fecundity and the many blessings coming from settled agriculture. The Sita of the ''Ramayana'' may have been named after a more ancient [[Rigvedic deities|Vedic goddess]] Sita, who is mentioned once in the [[Rigveda]] as an earth goddess who blesses the land with good crops. In the [[Vedic period]], she was one of the goddesses associated with fertility. Rigveda 4.53.6, addressed to Agricultural Divinities, states

{{cquote|''"Become inclined our way, well-portioned Furrow. We will extol you, <br>

''so that you will be well-portioned for us, so that you will be well-fruited for us."'' <br>

 

The birthplace of Sita is disputed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biharlokmanch.org/indian_festivals_culture_aid_24.html|title=Bihar times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019153403/http://www.biharlokmanch.org/indian_festivals_culture_aid_24.html|archive-date=19 October 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[Sita Kund]]<ref name="telegraphindia.com"/> pilgrimage site which is located in present-day [[Sitamarhi district]],<ref name="Sitamarhi"/><ref name="History of Sitamarhi"/> Bihar, India is viewed as the birthplace of Sita. Apart from Sitamarhi, [[Janakpur]] which is located in the present-day [[Province No. 2]], [[Nepal]],<ref name="m.timesofindia.com">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/modis-visit-to-sitas-birthplace-in-nepal-cancelled/articleshow/45220742.cms|title=Modi's visit to Sita's birthplace in Nepal cancelled &#124; India News - Times of India|website=The Times of India}}</ref><ref name="sacredsites.com">{{cite web|url=http://sacredsites.com/asia/nepal/janakpur.html|title= Birthplace of Sita in Janakpur, Asia Travels}}</ref> is also described as Sita's birthplace.

* ''Janka's biological daughter'': In ''Ramopkhyana'' of the [[Mahabharata]] and also in ''Paumachariya'' of Vimala Suri, Sita has been depicted as Janaka's  biological daughter. According to Rev. Fr. [[Camille Bulcke]], this motif that Sita was the biological daughter of Janaka, as described in ''Ramopkhyana Mahabharata'' was based on the authentic version of ''Valmiki Ramayana.'' Later, the story of Sita miraculously appearing in a furrow was inserted in ''Valmiki Ramayana''.<ref name="Singaravelu 235" />

* ''Reincarnation of Manivati'': According to Gunabhadra's [[Uttara Purana]] of the ninth century CE, Ravana disturbs the asceticism of Manivati, daughter of Amitavega of Alkapuri, and she pledges to take revenge on Ravana. Manivati is later reborn as the daughter of Ravana and [[Mandodari]]. But astrologers predicted the ruin of Ravana because of this child. So, Ravana orders to kill the child. Manivati is placed in a casket and buried in the ground of Mithila, where she is discovered by some of the farmers of the kingdom. Then Janaka, king of that state, adopts her.<ref name="Singaravelu 235">{{cite journal|last=Singaravelu|first=S|title=Sītā's Birth and Parentage in the Rāma Story|journal=Asian Folklore Studies|volume=41|issue=2|publisher=[[University of Malaya]], Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia|pages=235–240|jstor=1178126|year=1982|doi=10.2307/1178126}}</ref>

* ''Ravana's daughter'': In [[Rama in Jainism#Sanghadasa's version|Sanghadasa's Jaina version]] of Ramayana, and also in [[Adbhuta Ramayana]], Sita, entitled ''Vasudevahindi'', is born as the daughter of Ravana. According to this version, astrologers predict that first child of Vidyadhara Maya (Ravana's wife) will destroy his lineage. Thus, Ravana abandons her and orders the infant to be buried in a distant land where she is later discovered and adopted by Janaka.<ref name="Singaravelu 235" />

[[File:The_breaking_of_the_Bow_of_Janaka.jpg|left|thumb|Rama breaks the bow to win Sita as wife.]]

When Sita reaches adulthood, [[Janaka]] organizes a [[Swayamvara]] in [[Janakpurdham]] with the condition that Sita would marry only that person who would be able to string ''Pinaka'', the bow of the god [[Shiva]]. Janaka knew that the bow of Shiva was not even liftable, let alone stringable for ordinary mortals, and for selfish people it was not even approachable. Thus, Janaka tries to find the best husband for Sita.

At this time, [[Vishvamitra]] had brought Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the forest for the protection of sacrifice. Hearing about this ''swayamvara'', Vishvamitra asks Rama to participate in it and takes Rama and Lakshmana to the palace of Janaka in [[Janakpur]]. Janaka is greatly pleased to learn that Rama and Lakshmana are sons of Dasharatha. Next morning, in the middle of the hall, Rama lifts up the bow of Shiva with his left hand, fastens the string taut and breaks the bow in the process. However, another avatar of Vishnu, [[Parashurama]], became really angry as the bow of Shiva was broken. However, he does not realize that Rama is also an avatar of Vishnu, therefore after being informed of this, he apologizes for getting angry. Thus, Rama fulfills Janaka's condition to marry Sita. Later on [[Vivaha Panchami]], a marriage ceremony is conducted under the guidance of Satananda. Rama marries Sita, Bharata marries Mandavi, Lakshmana marries Urmila and Shatrughna marries Shrutakirti.<ref name=Parmeshwaranand />

[[File:Ravi Varma-Ravana Sita Jathayu.jpg|thumb|upright|Ravana cuts off Jatayu's wing while abducting Sita]]

Some time after the wedding, [[Kaikeyi]], Rama's stepmother, compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king, prompted by the coaxing of her maid [[Manthara]], and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile in the forests of [[Dandaka]] and later Panchavati. Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced the comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile. The Panchavati forest became the scene for Sita's abduction by Ravana, King of Lanka. The scene started with [[Shurpanakha]]'s love for Rama. However Rama refused her, stating that he was devoted to Sita. This enraged the demoness and she tried to kill Sita. Lakshmana cut Shurpanakha's nose and sent her back. Ravana, to kidnap Sita, made a plan. [[Maricha]], his uncle, disguised himself as a magnificent deer and lure Sita. Sita, attracted to its golden glow asked her husband to make it her pet. When Rama and Lakshmana went far away from the hut, Ravana kidnapped Sita, disguising himself as a mendicant, while Rama was away fetching a [[Maricha|golden deer]] to please her. Some versions of the ''Ramayana'' describe Sita taking refuge with the fire-god [[Agni]], while [[Maya Sita]], her illusionary double, is kidnapped by the demon-king. [[Jatayu (Ramayana)|Jatayu]], the vulture-king, tried to protect Sita but Ravana chopped off his wings. Jatayu survived long enough to inform Rama of what had happened.<ref name="Mani720">Mani pp. 720-3; {{cite book | last = Mani | first = Vettam | title = Puranic Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature | url = https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft | publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publishers | year = 1975 <!-- | location = Delhi --> | isbn = 978-0-8426-0822-0 | author-link = Vettam Mani }}</ref>

Ravana took her back to his kingdom in Lanka and Sita was held as a prisoner in one of his palaces. During her captivity for a year in Lanka, Ravana expressed his desire for her; however, Sita refused his advances and struggled to maintain her chastity. [[Hanuman]] was sent by Rama to seek Sita and eventually succeeded in discovering Sita's whereabouts. Sita gave Hanuman her jewellery and asked him to give it to her husband. Hanuman returned across the sea to Rama.<ref name="Mani720"/>

Sita was finally rescued by Rama, who waged a war to defeat Ravana. Upon rescue, Rama makes Sita undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. In some versions of ''Ramayana'', during this test the fire-god Agni appears in front of Rama and attests to Sita's purity, or hands over to him the real Sita and declares it was Maya Sita who was abducted by Ravana.<ref name="Mani720"/> The Thai version of the Ramayana, however, tells of Sita walking on the fire, of her own accord, to feel clean, as opposed to jumping in it. She is not burnt, and the coals turn to lotuses.

[[File:Sita with children.jpg|thumb|Sita with her two sons, Lava and Kusha]]

This story is not a part of the original Valmiki Ramayan, but a part of later interpolation [[Uttara Kanda]]. After the couple came back to Ayodhya, Rama was crowned as the king with Sita by his side. While Rama's trust and affection for Sita never wavered, it soon became evident that some people in Ayodhya could not accept Sita's long captivity under Ravana. During Rama's period of rule, an intemperate [[Dhobi|washerman]], while berating his wayward wife, declared that he was "no pusillanimous Rama who would take his wife back after she had lived in the house of another man". The common folk started gossiping about Sita and questioned Ram's decision to make her queen. Rama was extremely distraught on hearing the news, but finally told Lakshmana that as a king, he had to make his citizens pleased and the purity of the queen of Ayodhya has to be above any gossip and rumour. With a heavy heart, he instructed him to take Sita to a forest outside Ayodhya and leave her there.

Thus Sita was forced into exile a second time. Sita, who was pregnant, was given refuge in the hermitage of [[Valmiki]], where she delivered twin sons named [[Kusha (Ramayana)|Kusha]] and [[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]].<ref name=Parmeshwaranand /> In the hermitage, Sita raised her sons alone, as a single mother.<ref name="Contemporary Influence of Sita by">{{cite web|last=Bhargava|first=Anju P.|title=Contemporary Influence of Sita by|url=http://www.infinityfoundation.com/ECITsitaframeset.htm|publisher=The Infinity Foundation|access-date=31 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713001426/http://www.infinityfoundation.com/ECITsitaframeset.htm|archive-date=13 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> They grew up to be valiant and intelligent and were eventually united with their father. Once she had witnessed the acceptance of her children by Rama, Sita sought final refuge in the arms of her mother [[Bhūmi]]. Hearing her plea for release from an unjust world and from a life that had rarely been happy, the Earth dramatically split open; Bhūmi appeared and took Sita away.(Abounding of Devi Sīta appears in Uttara Kānda which is considered by some people as later added kanda).

Sita's exile during her pregnancy was because of a curse during her childhood.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vedpuran.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/padam-puran.pdf|title=Padma-puran pdf file|date=1 October 2018|access-date=1 October 2018}}</ref> According to [[Padma Purana|Padma-puran]], Sita had caught a pair of divine parrots which were from Valmiki's ashram when she was young. The birds were talking about story of Sri Ram heard in [[Valmiki]] ashram which intrigued Sita. She has the ability to talk with animals. The female bird was pregnant at that time. She requested Sita to let them go and return from Valmiki's Ashram as they knew only up to their marriage but Sita only allowed her male companion to fly away but female parrot died because of separation from her companion. As a result, the male bird cursed Sita that she would suffer a similar fate of being separated from her husband during pregnancy. The male bird was reborn as the washerman.

[[File:Hanuman before Rama.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Rama seated with Sita, fanned by [[Lakshmana]], while [[Hanuman]] pays his respects]]

Sita is the daughter of King Janak and Queen Videha of Mithalapuri. She has a brother named Bhamandal who is kidnapped soon after his birth by a deity due to animosity in a previous life. He is thrown into a garden of Rathnupur where he is dropped into the arms of King Chandravardhan of Rathnupur. The king and queen bring him up as their own son. Ram and Sita get married due to Bhamandal and in the course of events Bhamandal realises that Sita is his sister. It is then that he meets his birth parents.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-09-21|title=Jain Ramayana - ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAINISM|url=https://www.en.encyclopediaofjainism.com/index.php/Jain_Ramayana|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-13|website=www.en.encyclopediaofjainism.com}}</ref>

[[File:Hermitage of Valmiki, Folio from the "Nadaun" Ramayana (Adventures of Rama) LACMA AC1999.127.45.jpg|thumb|250px|Sita in the [[hermitage (religious retreat)|hermitage]] of Valmiki]]

[[File:Srisita ram laxman hanuman manor.JPG|thumb|left|250px|Deities Sita (far right), Rama (center), Lakshmana (far left) and Hanuman (below, seated) at [[Bhaktivedanta Manor]], [[Watford]], England]]

The actions, reactions, and instincts manifested by Sita at every juncture in a long and arduous life are deemed exemplary. Her story has been portrayed in the book [[Sitayanam]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sitayanam.com/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101221413/http://www.sitayanam.com/|url-status=dead|title=Sitayanam…|archivedate=1 January 2009|website=www.sitayanam.com}}</ref> The values that she enshrined and adhered to at every point in the course of a demanding life are the values of womanly virtue held sacred by countless generations of Indians.

* [[Sita temple]],  Phalswari, [[Pauri]] district, Uttarakhand (Proposed)<ref>{{cite news |last1=Singh |first1=Kautilya |title=Uttarakhand set to come up with a massive Sita temple |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/uttarakhand-set-to-come-up-with-a-massive-sita-temple/articleshow/72012205.cms |access-date=13 November 2019 |agency=The Times of India |date=12 November 2019}}</ref>

==Outside Indian subcontinent==

The Javanese version of Krishna is referred to as the reincarnation of Rama, while his younger brother, Subhadra, is referred to as the reincarnation of Shinta. Thus, the relationship between Rama and Shinta, who in the previous life was husband and wife, turned into brother and sister in the next life.<ref>{{citation | url= https://www.google.co.id/books/edition/Lahirnya_Dewi_Sinta_ceritera_Kihajar_Suk/ljotAQAAIAAJ?hl=id&gbpv=0&bsq=dewi%20sinta| author= Soedjono | title= Lahirnya Dewi Sinta| year= 1978 | publisher= Tribisana Karya }}</ref>

 

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One time, Raden Ramawijaya was defeated by Raden Ramawijaya, until Dewi Shinta was freed from Ravana's shackles. However, Shinta's suffering did not end there. After being released, she was still suspected of her chastity by her own husband Ramawijaya. So to show that as long as in the reign of the King of Alengka, Sinta has not been stained, Shinta proves herself by plunging into the fire. By the gods of heaven, Shinta was saved from the raging fire.<ref>{{citation | url=https://jagad.id/dewi-shinta/| author= | title=Dewi Shinta : Sifat dan Kisah Cerita| date= 15 July 2018}}</ref><ref>{{citation | url=https://kumparan.com/tambara-boyak/dewi-shinta-sebuah-gambaran-keteguhan-seorang-feminis-1uOgYujTHly| author= Tambora boyak| title=Dewi Shinta, Sebuah Gambaran Keteguhan Seorang Feminis}}</ref>

 

 

 

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