Sita was so beautiful woman with captivating and flawless features. With moon like face, wide eyes, charming eyebrows Sita is called as purendramukhi, ayatalocana, Carunetra, Subhru, kanakavarnangi etc. Her Dharma of never swerving from path of righteousness, Unique combination of personal beauty and beauty of character , nature of relinquishing royal pleasures and following ascetic life with Rama are special only to Sita.Her amiable temperament, refined demeanour, noble sentiments and magnanimous conduct , strict abidance by ethical code of governing a wife's conduct has won for her universal acclaim. Tenderness of heart, compassion of the extreme type, fidelity, wisdom of the trust type,courageousness , perfect endurance find in her a harmonious abode. All characteristics associated with Lakshmi are fully reflected in Sita in Ramayanam.
SITA IN VEDAVATI
hermitage of her parents, meditating upon Vishnu. Ravana, the ruler of Lanka, once finds Vedavati seated in meditation and is captivated by her beauty. Ravana mocks her austerities and her devotion to Vishnu; finding himself firmly rejected at every turn, he tries to molest Vedavati, pulling her hair. Then she is duly reborn as Sita, wife of Rama, and became the direct cause of Ravana's destruction at his hands.
Ramayanam called as Sitayas charitham mahath is full of story of Sita, with Sita's marriage in Balakandam, Sita with Rama in forest life in Ayodhya kandam, Sita's abduction by Ravana in Aranya kandam, Quest for Sita in Kishkinda Kandam, Locating Sita for rescue in Sundarakandam, and finally Sita's reunion with Rama in Yuddha Kandam and concluding part of Sita's departure in UttaraKandam.
SITA in GITA
In Srimad Bagavath Geetha Lord Krishna said as karmanaiva hi samsiddhim asthitha janaka daya ,(3.20) King such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Janaka ,a brave king with encomiums from Krishna, is a fit person to be the father of Sita, who was to be the wife of Vishnu came down on earth on human form.
Similarly as said in Gita Avyakthathathini buthani vyaktha mathyani bharatha avyaktha nithananyeva(2.28) the begining and the end are manifest , are enveloped in mystery, the middle only is manifest visible and known, Sita is not known before she manifested herself and nothing after she left the world.
Sita's actions and results are similar to this quote in Gita ,where Krishna says as’ While contemplating the objects of senses , a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops and from lust angers.kama krodho bhijayate (2.62). When Sita is attracted to the deer by its beauty, despite being told that it is mostly an illusion, a product of maya, sita desired to catch the deer and sends Lakshmana out and became angry, when he hesitates.Then as a result of Sita's unprotected vulnerability ,Ravana was able to kidnap her and take her to Lanka and as a result of this the war between Rama and Lanka ensues. This desire aspect in Gita, through Sita is well expressed in Ramayana.
SITA in RAMA
Sita regards herself as one who belongs to Rama alone and as one who deems his companionship only as the highest point of all happiness and as completely dependant to him for protection. Sita considers as her binding duty in abiding by Rama's guidance, and obeying his orders or counsels. Sita, ever feels that to be with Rama is to be in heaven, and to be away from him, is to throw herself in hell . Sita conducts herself in this world as the noblest among women and as a wife wholly devoted to her husband, and dedicated to Rama's service.
Sita's part in Ramayanam is as important as Rama's in rescuing the world from the dominance of evil forces. She plays the role of an exemplary role in rare jewel of great effulgence for improving morality of world at large.
Sita's first appearance occurs at the wedding of her with Rama in the sloka "Iyam seetha mama sutaa sahadharma chareethava" rendered in all Hindu weddings conveys this message. " This is Sita my daughter , who will ever tread with you the path of Dharama, Cherish her in joy and sorrow. take her hand in yours. Blessed and devoted, she will ever walk with you like your own shadow. ".
SITA in ARANYA
Anasuya is one more women in this epic Ramayana, wife of Atri Maharishi, who extended hospitality to both Rama and Sita in Chitrakuta. Anasuya is otherwise means a woman free from envy and jealousy. She was very pious, and always practiced austerities and devotion. Anasuya adorned Sita with ornaments and clothes of various kinds and informed Sita on duties of virtuous woman. While Rama, Sita and Lakshmana going along Ganges and other holy rivers, Sita prayed in every river and offered flowers in praise of its continuous flow throughout the year. This practice is still seen in Rishikesh as people float lamps in flower with Arathi performance.
Whenever Sita met anything strange or anything in attraction, she used to enjoy with Rama and start questioning Rama aboutit. Rama then with his sound knowledge on everything in the world, which are only his creations.This shows enjoyed their forest life, sojourn in exile and shared their knowledge. Sita's humbleness to Rama in submitting her appeals to Rama are clear in these lines.
"A woman given by her father with holy water in the hands of the bridegroom belongs to him and cannot be separated from him in this world. I am not going to leave you knowing this Dharma . When I am with you, I don’t want good food, plain fare will be like delicious viands for me. Dust of the forest which you have trodden will be sandal, after my heart and grass will be most luxurious couch. No unseemly sight would offend my eye. The place that I can be with you whatever its name may be, wherever it may be, is heaven to me. If you are not there, then it will be niraya to me".
Similar to this Sita's speeches are innumerable in this epic.
Asokavana vasam :
Sita in Sundara kandam shines much beautifully with HER wit, wisdom, and words, helps everybody to find a resolution for all our problems .Pretty, virtuous, Sita in penance, always meditates on her husband. Sita tells Ravana that he should give her back to Sri Rama and seek Rama's protection if he wants to live in this world. Sita put a thin grass Dharpai between Ravana and replied him with a smile in which showed her greatness as thrunamanthratha kruthva , indicating the value she has attached to Ravana. Sita said that she would never part from her husband Rama who is the prince of Ikshuvaku clan, like the very lucky Lady Sachi devi from Indra, like Arundathi from Vasishta, Rohini from the moon god, Lopamudhra from Sage Agasthya, Sukanya from Sage Chyavana, Savithri from Prince Sathyavan, Madayanthi from Soudasa, Kesini from Sagara and the great Bhima princess Damayanthi from the great King Nala. Sita thus listed out various great virtuous ladies of her time. Sita' advices to Ravana are as follows;
1. King should take his mind to his own people and to take back his mind from other women and to follow eka pathni vratham just like Lord Rama.
2. Ravana should not even think about any other woman, that too a woman born in a great Janaka'family and got married in to a equally holy honoured RaghukulaThilaka family, and so just protect obeying the tenets of good conduct .
3.The wives of other himself people also should be properly protected and to keep himself as a simile and try to find satisfaction in his own wives.
4. He who cannot find satisfaction in his own wife is one who cannot control his senses and that unstable man is lead to his own destruction by other ladies.
5. Prosperous countries and cities face complete
destruction only because of foolish king who engages himself in unjust activities.
6. There should be great people to tell King about the right path and advice and King also should obey them fully to have good future and not to do anything just opposite to the right conduct.
Advices to women in general are as follows;1. Just like Sun's rays always with sun. Good woman should always be with her husband. 2. Woman should not be distracted by any power of queen, position of wealth, or possession of pleasures in hereditary.3. Death is also difficult to attain except in the fated time to any person.(In spite of the mentally wounded and sad situation of not being with Rama, Sita could not end her life). 4. Though one's husband has been driven away from his kingdom post or house, and he is in dire straits he must always be respected by his wife, and should lead life similar to him. 5. Woman even they have the power of their virtue have to do things only with the consent of her husband and that alone is Dharma. 6. Woman obeying husband fully is sure to have a good future .Angulya pradanam
In Angulyapradanam we can see Sita's conduct, courage and calm words in the midst of her miseries. When Anjaneya saw Sita in Asokavanam, he started with "Raama naama ankitam ca idam pashya devi anguliiyakam" . He said that he was a monkey and a messenger of the wise Rama. He asked Sita to Look at the ring too, marked with Rama's name. He said he brought the ring given by the high souled Rama, for the purpose of gaining Sita's confidence. He consoled her and said as she is free from the object of her grief.Then, Sita, gladdened by the message of her husband, became shy and message of her husband, andwell-pleased. Sita then praised Hanuman forsingly overpowered that place infested by demons. Sita praised Anjaneya's valiant, competent and intelligent nature. With an acclaimable gallantry, Anjaneya’s crossing the ocean having a width of one hundred Yojanas and an asylum of crocodiles, making it as a small puddle was praised by her. As there is no fear nor even bewilderment from Ravana ,Sita considered Anjaneya as sent by that Rama only. The indomitable Rama must have sent Anjaneya knowing his enterprise .Then Sita asked why Rama is not getting perturbed,and not tormented with grief.? Sita even told Anjaneya that Rama is not losing affection in her because of her staying away from home and questioned when she will be released from this evil predicament. As Rama is habituated always to pleasures and not habituated to pains, hope he is not sinking into despondency getting this great pain. Sita had confidence that Rama will liberate her from sorrow, without fixing his mind on something else.Sita was sure that Ravana will be killed along with his companions in the battle-field by terrific weapons burning brightly.As the face of Rama with its golden and with the fragrance of a lotus have no fear or sorrow even while taking her to the forest by foot, Sita said Rama always maintains boldness in his heart. Sita confess that in the matter of affection to Rama , neither his mother nor his father nor any body else is equal to or more than her. Sita wished to survive only as long as she hears the activity of her beloved. Anjaneya said then that soon after hearing his words, Rama will come drawing forth a large army, consisting of a multitude of monkeys and bears .Rama will paralyze the imperturbable ocean with his flood of arrows and make the City of Lanka extinguished of demons. If the goddess of Death along with demons or celestials stands firmly in the way of Rama at that time, he will kill them also.Anjaneya assured Sita, that she can soon see Rama on the Prasravana mountain, like Indra the Lord of celestials seated on the back of Airavata, the chief of elephants. As Anjaneya told that Rama the magnanimous prince is always lamenting, speaking just about Sita and he makes effort to find Sita only, Sita felt happy.
In this episode, one can see Sita's courtesy of receiving strangers, that too a monkey, identifying a person with things, words, and praises, enquiring the welfare of all in the midst of her sorrows, getting confidence through consoling messages . Any person affected in life in any manner, if they just read the entire Sundara kandam , can easily get assured that they will be free from all problems like Goddess Sita's intolerable miseries.
Abhaya Sadanam :
In Valmiki Ramayanam, Sundara Kandam is the fifth canto, with 68 sargas and 2885 slokas.
Rama killed Tadaka ,Kara Dushanas, vali , Ravana and other demons only when Sita was not by His side.In Kakasura episode , it is seen that He only did Angaheenam and not any Vadham. This shows kindheartedness of woman, particulrly with Goddess woman Sita. Even when the crow harasses and wounds Sita again and again, Sita endures the suffering without causing any disturbance to her sleeping husband. The beauty of Rama while asleep, sriman sukhsuptah parantapaha is so charming that it has no parallel. Sita has not to the heart to interrupt the happiness in watching that scene, and so disinclined to rouse Rama. But even when sita is enjoying this sound sleep, Rama's figure strikes terror in the hearts of His enemies. Lord Rama thus appears to devotees and frightening enemies even while in sleep. But Rama got agitated while seeing Sita in drops of blood from wounds crow made.
Atma samarpanam :
When Anjaneya saw Sita in miserable, he offers to carry her on his back immediately to the presence of Rama. But Sita refuses to believe him because he is too small and would not be capable of doing it. Anjaneya then showed her very big form. She is wonderstruck by his strength but tells him that as a woman she many not be able to undertake such a risky journey. She also told him that she has never touched any other male except Rama. She concludes by saying that unless Rama himself frees her, a bad name would come to him.
When Sita's Tilaka was erased , Rama playfully put on her forehead a Tilaka with a laterite stone.This fact known only to Rama and Sita and has romantic overtones.So Sita gives only indication so that Rama will understand that the message comes from Sita. Another version of the story is that when Sita misplaced her Tilaka making set, both of them started searching for it with a bet that the one who finds it will get a fondling by the other. This Choodamani has always been protected with love by her and whenever she feel sad , she used to look at it and get consoled as if she saw Rama . Sita thus gave her Choodamani as a memento to Hanuman so that Rama will have faith that Hanuman has indeed seen her.
Agnipravesam :
Rama told Sita that His efforts have been crowned with successand as family tradition, He could not take Sita back as His wife. But Sita in flood of tears said to end her life in fire. Sita then prayed Agni as "Oh God of fire you ae witness to my purity.If I am chaste let Agni protect me"Yama, Brahma, Mahadeva, Agni and other Gods testified to Sita's purity and devotion of Rama.Agni carrying Sita in lap said "Sita is pure and chaste. As I dwell in every life, I am the witness to every present and in everything. Sita is beyond any scolding or blaming.Sriman Narayana you can take your wife pathivratha devi Sita .Rama then said Sita inseparable from Him as light is from the Sun. Agnipravesam was done only for these two reasons.
1. Lord Rama never doubted Sita and He knows Agni totally incapable of burning Sita. Just to inform the public, and to be sensitive to His people, He ordered Sita to undergo Agnipravesam. He felt the Agnipravesam serves to prove that Sita is perfect and pure.
2. After killings of Kumbakarna, Indrajit and Ravana, the war ended totally. Lord Rama then rescued Maya Sita . Agni took only the Maya Sita and returned the real Sita. As He had to send the Maya Sita to Agni to be united with the real Sita, this drama was enacted.
Adiyen Vinnappam :
In Woman in epics from Ramayanam, we have covered Manthara, Kaikeyi, Kousalya, Sita, Urmila, Trijadai, Mandodari, Sabari, and Ahalya. Characters like Sumitrai, and other demons Soorpanaka , Tadaka have no significance. Yet if anybody feels any more character to be studied, please appraise me. Otherwise Maha Bharatham woman characters may be taken
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