Sita

Overview

Sita (Sanskrit: सीता; IAST: Sītā), also known as Siya, Janaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the epic Ramayana. She is the consort of Rama, who is regarded in the Hindu tradition as an avatar of the god Vishnu, and Sita herself is regarded as an avatar of the goddess Lakshmi. She is the chief goddess of the Ramanandi Sampradaya and is venerated as the goddess of beauty and devotion.

Key facts

Background

Sita is described in the tradition as the daughter of Bhūmi, the earth, and is brought up as the adopted daughter of King Janaka, the ruler of Videha. The names Janaki and Maithili derive from her association with Janaka and the kingdom of Mithila respectively.

Narrative in the Ramayana

Marriage

In her youth, Sita chooses Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, as her husband in a svayamvara held by King Janaka. After the marriage, she accompanies Rama to his kingdom of Ayodhya.

Exile and abduction

When Rama is sent into exile, Sita chooses to accompany him along with his brother Lakshmana. The trio settles in the Dandaka forest, from where Sita is abducted by Ravana, the Rakshasa king of Lanka. She is held captive in the garden of Ashoka Vatika in Lanka until Rama, after a war, slays Ravana and rescues her.

Agni Pariksha

After the war, in some versions of the epic, Rama asks Sita to undergo the Agni Pariksha, an ordeal of fire, through which she proves her chastity before being accepted by Rama. This episode is described as the first occasion on which Lakshmana is angered with Rama. In other versions of the epic, an illusory figure called Maya Sita, created by the fire god Agni, takes Sita's place and is abducted by Ravana, while the real Sita is concealed in the fire. Some scriptures also describe her previous birth as Vedavati.

Return to Ayodhya and second exile

After proving her purity, Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya, where they are crowned as king and queen. Later, when a citizen questions Sita's fidelity, Rama, in order to uphold his own and the kingdom's dignity, sends the pregnant Sita into the forest. She takes shelter at the ashram of the sage Valmiki, where she gives birth to twin sons, Kusha and Lava. Years later, Sita reunites her sons with Rama.

Significance

Sita is widely venerated within the Hindu tradition as a model of devotion, virtue and forbearance. As an avatar of Lakshmi, she is paired with Rama in worship across many Vaishnava traditions, and she occupies a central place in the devotional theology of the Ramanandi Sampradaya. Her birthday is observed annually as Sita Navami.

Related topics

• Rama
• Ramayana
• Lakshmi
• Vishnu
• Lakshmana
• Ravana
• Janaka
• Valmiki
• Kusha and Lava
• Ramanandi Sampradaya
• Sita Navami
• Ayodhya
• Mithila

References

• "Sita", English Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita
• Wikidata item: Q191114