*All about Devi Sita* Devi Sita is a well known Hindu Goddess acknowledged for her courage, purity, dedication, loyalty, and sacrifice. She is the silent figure of strength in the Hindu epic, Ramayana. She is the epitome of devotion as a wife, daughter, and a mother. She led a life full of trials and tribulations with strength and courage. She has a strong sense of individuality around her, hence she is a subject of generational curiosity and research.
Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth and prosperity): the consort of Lord Vishnu in the Treta Yuga. Vedavati: A tapasvini (female ascetic), devotee of Lord Vishnu in previous birth who entered blazing fire when Ravana tried to molest her. Kaushika Sutra of Atharva Veda mentions Sita as wife of Parjanya (Lord Indra, the god associated with rain) Paraskara Griha Sutra of Shukla Yajur Veda mentions Sita as wife of Indra (the god associated with rain) She is also worshipped as an agricultural and fertility deity, prayed to for bountiful crops. “Auspicious Sita, come thou near: we venerate and worship thee that thou mayst bless and prosper us and bring us fruits abundantly.” – Rig Veda 4.57.6 Udbhavasthitisamharakarinim Kalesaharinim | sarvasreyaskarim Sitam Natoham Ramavallabham || I bow to Sita, the beloved consort of Sri Rama, who is responsible for the creation, sustenance, and dissolution (of the universe), removes afflictions and begets all blessings. — ShriRamcharitmanas, Balkand, Manglacharan, Shloka 5 Daaridrya-Ranna-Samhartriim Bhaktaana-Abhisstta-Daayiniim | Videha-Raaja-Tanayaam Raaghava-[A]ananda-Kaarinniim || Devi Sita you are the destroyer of poverty and bestower of wishes on the devotees. I salute you : you are the daughter of Videha Raja and cause of joy of Raghava (Sri Ram) Bhuumer-Duhitaram Vidyaan Namaami Prakrtim Shivaam | Paulastya-[A]ishvarya-Samhatriim Bhakti-Abhiissttaam Sarasvatiim || Devi Sita I salute you: You are the daughter of Earth and embodiment of knowledge; You are the auspicious Prakriti (nature) You are the destroyer of power and supremacy of oppressor and fulfiller of the wishes of Devotees. You are an embodiment of Maa Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) Aahlaada-Ruupinniim Siddhim Shivaam Shivakariim Satiim| Namaami Vishal-Jananiim Raamacandre [a-l]sstta-Vallabhaam || Sitaam Sarvaan-Avadya-Anggiim Bhajaami Satatam Hrdaa ||| Your different forms are a source of joy to all, You are the Sati (a devoted wife) whose presence is auspicious and confers Siddhi (attainment) and Liberation, I Salute the Mother of the Universe, Who is the beloved of Lord Rama, I always worship You in my heart Who is beautiful in entirety and you are beautiful beyond words. The legend behind Devi Sita’s birth is divine and supernatural. She did not emerged from a mothers’s womb, rather she appeared miraculously in a furrow, while king Janaka was ploughing the field as part of Vedic ritual in the kingdom of Videhas (also known as Mithila), an ancient Indian kingdom in late Vedic India. This site is now located in present day district, Bihar, India. She was discovered and brought up by king Janaka, the king of Mithila and his wife Sunaina (Valmiki Ramayana). Janakpur, which is located in the present-day Province No. 2, Nepal, is also described as Devi Sita’s birthplace. According to Sanghadasa Jain version of Ramayana and Adbhut Ramayana Sita was born as a daughter of Ravana, the astrologers predicted that the 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 King Janaka. Sita — from the Sanskrit word ‘Seet’ meaning furrow Vaidehi — daughter of Vaideh, a sobriquet of Janak due to his ability to transcend body consciousness. Janaki/Janaknandini — daughter of king Janak Maithili — princess of Mithila Sia — in local Hindi dialect like Braj or Awadhi Bhoomija — daughter of Bhoomi (Earth) Janakatmata — part of Janak’s soul (combination of Janak and Atmaja, a Sanskrit word meaning part of soul) Bhusuta — a combination of two words Bhu, which stands for prithvi (earth), and Suta means daughter. When Sita had come of marriageable age, king Janaka arranged her a swayamvar (a ceremony where the prospective bride chooses her own groom from among a group of suitors who attend the ceremony). The condition was whosoever strings Pinaka (Siva’s bow) will get Sita’s hand. However, there is an associated legend to this condition, as per the Tulsidas Ramayan. When Lord Parshuram witnessed Devi Sita playing with the mighty bow (Pinaka) in a very tender age, he was stunned by her strength as even the Gods could not lift that bow. Witnessing this, Valmiki advised King Janak that when the time arrives Sita should be married to the one who had the courage to string the mighty bow. Only Lord Rama amongst all the suitors could string Lord Shiva’s bow and hence won the swayamvar. Kaikeyi, Rama’s stepmother, compelled King Dashratha (Rama’s father) to make Bharata (Rama’s step brother) king and forced Rama to go into exile for fourteen years. Devi Sita had the courage to renounce the comforts of the palace and join Rama in a fourteen year exile in the forests of Dandak and later Panchvati. Choosing exile was her own personal decision and she was firm and outspoken about it. She did not find the forest exile fearful. Sita was later abducted from Panchvati by the demon king Ravana. Some versions of Ramayana describe Sita taking refuge with the fire god (Agni), while Maya Sita (illusionary double) was abducted by Ravana. (Source: Skanda Purana). During her captivity days she even challenged Ravana to cross the strand of straw placed between them. This shows she was a woman of substance. In the captivity of Ravana in Ashoka Vatika when Hanuman came looking for her, she chose Hanuman not to carry her back to her husband, Lord Rama. She was optimistic that her husband would rescue her. After getting rescued by Lord Rama, this divine Goddess decided to give Agni-pareeksha (an ordeal of fire) to prove her chastity. She is very clear about her position as giving Agni-pareeksha was a very powerful stance and not an act of weakness. This was the courage and grace of Devi Sita. Lord Rama was forced to heed the words of his praja (local residents of Ayodhya) and in order to protect the moral fabric of his kingdom he asked Sita to leave the palace on account of spending months in the territory of another man (Ravana). Devi Sita makes the point that it is not only humiliating to her but the entire female community to justify her purity yet again. Devi Sita here is presented as an embodiment of courage, wisdom, and perseverance. Now Devi Sita faces yet another exile but this time she was all alone. She took refuge in the hermitage of Rishi Valmiki where she delivered twin boys named Luv and Kusha. She raised her sons as a single mother and the boys grew up to be vigilant and bright. It was the immense love and dedication of a mother which got reflected in her son’s aura. When Luva and Kusha got united with their father (Lord Rama), Sita refused to return to the kingdom of Ayodhya. Devi Sita took final refuge in the arms of her Mother Earth. Mother Earth dramatically split open and took Devi Sita away. Sita Navami / Sita Jayanti — Sita navami is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Sita Mata. It falls on Navami tithi (ninth day) during Shukla Paksha (white bright lunar fortnight) in the month of Vaisakh. On this day women keep fast for their husband’s long life. This day is celebrated with great pomp and show in Sita Samahit Sthal in Bihar, Ayodhya (birth space of Lord Rama), Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh, India. Vivah Punchami — This festival commemorates the wedding anniversary of Ram and Sita and is observed on the fifth day of Shukla Paksh (the waxing phase of moon, Hindu calendar month of Agrahayana, December-January). The celebrations are notable in temples of Lord Rama all over India, particularly in Mithila (Devi Sita’s birth place) and some parts of north India especially Ayodhaya (Lord Rama’s birth place) Sita Kund — Punaura Dham, District Sitamarhi, Bihar, India Seetha Devi Temple — Pulpally, Kerala, District Wayanad, India Sita Temple — Phaiswari, District Pauli, Uttarakhand, India Seetha Amman Temple — Nane Nauwara Eliya, SriLanka Sita Mai Temple — Sitamarhi village, District Karnak, Haryana, India Janaki Mandir — Janakpur, Nepal Sita (Devanagari: सीता), or Seetha is the central female character of the Indian Hindu epic Ramayana. In this article you’ll find Swami Vivekananda‘s quotes and comments on the character Sita. Swami Vivekananda told— A Bhakta should be like Sita before Rama. He might be thrown into all kinds of difficulties. Sita did not mind her sufferings; she centered herself in Rama. I know that the race that produced Sita— even if it only dreamt of her— has a reverence for woman that is unmatched on earth. If a priest has to bless a woman he says, “Be Sita!” If he blesses a child, he says “Be Sita!” They are all children of Sita, and are struggling to be Sita, the patient, the all-suffering, the ever-faithful, the ever-pure wife. Through all this suffering she experiences, there is not one harsh word against Rama. She takes it as her own duty and performs her own part in it. Think of the terrible injustice of her being exiled to the forest! But Sita knows no bitterness. That is, again, the Indian ideal. Says the ancient Buddha, “When a man hurts you, and you turn back to hurt him, that would not cure the first injury; it would only create in the world one more wickedness.” Sita was a true Indian by nature. Rama and Sita are the ideals of the Indian nation. All children, especially girls, worship Sita. The height of a woman’s ambition is to be like Sita, the pure, the devoted, the all-suffering! When you study these characters, you can at once find out how different is the ideal in India from that of the West. For the race, Sita stands as the ideal of suffering. The West says, “Do! Show your power by doing.” India says, “Show your power by suffering.” The West has solved the problem of how much a man can have: India has solved the problem of how little a man can have. Sita is the name in India for everything that is good, pure, and holy; everything that in woman we call woman. Sita— the patient, all suffering, ever-faithful, ever-pure wife! Through all the suffering she had, there was not one harsh word against Rama. Sita never returned injury. Be Sita. Sita is typical of India— the idealized India. The question is not whether she ever lived, whether the story is history or not, we know that the ideal is there. Sita is unique; the character was depicted once and for all. There may have been several Ramas, perhaps, but never more than one Sita. Sita — to say that she was pure is blasphemy. She was purity itself embodied — the most beautiful character that ever lived on earth. Sita was chastity itself; she would never touch the body of another man except that of her husband. “Pure? She is chastity itself”, says Rama What to speak of Sita? You may exhaust the literature of the world that is past, and I may assure that you will have to exhaust the literature of the world of the future, before finding another Sita. THE REAL REASON FOR THE BANISHMENT OF SITA Let us quickly refer to the other incidents mentioned in the same scripture (Ramayana) where Rama interacts with four women. They are: Ahalya, the wife of the sage Gautama Maharishi was cursed to remain as a stone for being tricked into infidelity. Many great sages and Demi gods appeared in Gautam Maharishi’s ashram but no one could liberate Ahalya from the curse. Because the underlying condition ordained was that Ahalya could be liberated from a being who would not judge her. No one among the great sages or among the demigods could liberate her because they all had preconceived notions about her behavior. She remained ostracized from the society until Rama came and liberated her. Rama was the only one who was spiritually evolved not to judge Ahalya on her “perceived sin”. The second incident is Rama’s meeting with Shabari was an old woman, an outcaste who lived alone in a hut in a forest. She served Ram berries which she had tasted before and were partially eaten. Protocol demanded that guests be treated like Gods and offering food that was already eaten constituted as a sin. Laxman was offended and rejected it instantly. It was Ram who not only calmed Laxman down but also ate the berries with a sense of gratitude; in return for the berries, he initiated Shabari into the highest knowledge of devotion. Tara was widowed after the demise of her husband Vali, and it was Rama who restored her to rule the kingdom. Finally, when Ravana was killed, his wife Mandodari feared the wrath of Rama. What did Rama do when he meet her? The victorious king bowed before Mandodari and eulogized her. He praised her virtues, asked her forgiveness for the pain he had caused her and gave her the highest of honors. So, if Rama treated these women with so much respect and admiration, and helped each one of them, then how could he banish his pregnant wife Sita. Is there a deeper significance to this? Yes there is a deeper significance. If we delve deeper with an open heart and open mind, then we allow the wisdom of the sages who composed these scriptures to resonate within us. Ramayana and Mahabharata were written and passed from generation to generation for a purpose. Both these scriptures have a reference to a battle between the good and the evil. In a philosophical sense that battle refers to the contradictory sattvic (divine) and tamasic (demoniac) tendencies prevalent in each one of us. Each day we make choices out of our free will that determine our mental and spiritual evolution in this cycle of life and death. By interpreting these scriptures, a human being is expected to derive strength to engage in the correct actions. Though this is the sole purpose of both Mahabharata and Ramayana, the motif or recurring theme in both these scriptures is different. While Mahabharat is a drama, the recurring theme in Ramayana is “pain” or “separation.” When Rama is separated from his father Dasharatha, the king dies of grief. The separation of Rama and Laxman from their mother leaves her heart-broken and she lives an agonizing life pining for her sons. Bharat’s pain caused by the separation of Rama and Sita is intense and he lives the life of a hermit while discharging his duties. Bharat voluntary separates from material comforts and dressed in barks, sleeps on floors while waiting for his brother to return. Rama is separated from the right to rule as a king and gets separated from the comforts and riches that were destined to be enjoyed by him. Rama endures all this with Sita in the peaceful forest but finally Rama is separated from Sita after Ravan abducts her. Rama is separated from his peaceful exile in the forest and begins the tumultuous journey to reach Lanka. After winning the war against Ravana, Rama gets Sita back only to be separatedagain when he banishes her. Rama remains separated from his wife and sons. That brings us to the point who were Rama and Sita? Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi manifested as avatars in the form of Rama and Sita on this earth. They deliberately chose not be born as purna avatars, meaning that they were incognizant of their divinity and lived their entire lives believing they were human beings. Krishna was a purna avatar, meaning that he knew that he was the supreme God. Rama and Sita lived their lives as mere mortals on this earth. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Laxmi deliberately chose their destiny and the unfolding of their lives as Rama and Sita- a life full of pain and separation. As human beings, Rama and Sita’s lives are full of agony and moments of happiness are few and fleeting. What was the reason for Rama and Sita to choose this life? Why did Lord Vishnu choose this particular birth where he suffered heavily and had to face the blemish of having banished a pregnant wife? The answer is mentioned explicitly in almost all significant scriptures but the significance is lost as people who pretend to be scholars have monopolized the visible content thus pushing the truth to oblivion. The pain and agony of separation throughout Rama’s life, and the subsequent banishment of a pregnant Sita, were done to fulfill two objectives by Lord Vishnu: The First Objective- Rescue his devotees Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi lived the lives of Rama and Sita to rescue two of their greatest devotees- Ravana and Khumbkarna. Yes, the seeds of the birth of Rama and Sita were laid long back to rescue these two devotees. The genesis of Lord Vishnu’s avatar as is to mitigate the curse on his two most ardent devotees- Jaya and Vijaya, who were the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha. Jaya and Vijaya once stopped the four kumaras (mistaking them as children) from seeing Lord Vishnu. The four kumaras kept on requesting to meet Lord Vishnu but neither Jaya and Vijaya relented. The kumaras were enraged and cursed the two gatekeepers, “Lord Vishnu belongs to this devotees. Just as you have caused us separation from Lord Vishnu, both of you will also lose your divinity and take birth as mortals on earth, getting separated from Lord Vishnu.” For Jaya and Vijaya, the thought of separating from Lord Vishnu is unimaginable and they fall at the grace of Vishnu and request him to remove the curse of the kumaras. Vishnu refuses saying that the curse of the kumaras cannot be dishonored but reassures Jaya and Vijaya that he will take birth with them for all their mortal births on earth. Lord Vishnu then offers them two choices: The first option is to take seven births on Earth as a devotee of Vishnu, while the second is to take three births as his enemy. Jaya and Vijaya cannot bear the thought of staying away from Vishnu for seven lives. Jaya says, “Everyone who is born has to die and what better way to go than to be relieved of this earthly existence by you, our Lord.” So the purpose of Rama’s birth was not to rescue Sita but to fulfill his promise to his devotees. It was Jaya and Vijaya who in their second birth were born as Ravana and Kumbhkarna. The maya created by Lord Vishnu is such that he rescued his devotees and also through the life story of Rama and Sita gave us the scripture of Ramayana to lead us to the path of knowledge. The Second Objective- Honoring the Curse of Sage Bhrigu The second and lesser known truth about the banishment of Sita is not known to many people although the story is mentioned in the scriptures. The reason that Rama had to be separated from Sita was to fulfill a curse that was given to him! In the fights between Gods and Demons, Lord Vishnu often supported the Gods for the welfare of the three worlds. Once Lord Vishnu had to use the Sudarshana Chakra against Sage Bhrigu’s wife Khyati to let the gods defeat the demons. Upon finding his wife slain by Vishnu, Bhrigu cursed Lord Vishnu that he would have to suffer the pangs of separation from his wife repeatedly. Lord Vishnu, the original giver of boons, acknowledged the Rishi’s anger and willingly accepted the curse of Sage Bhrigu. Now hear the esoteric truth about the repeated separation of Rama from Sita in their lives and the subsequent banishment of Sita. After accepting Sage Bhrigu’s curse, Lord Vishnu had to manifest the words of the Rishi. But there was a problem. Lord Vishnu or Brahman or Paramatman or Krishna is the supreme consciousness. For the purpose of creation, the one consciousness deludes itself and becomes many due to the illusion of differentiating between the seer and the seen, the body and the mind, I and them. Now Vishnu who personifies Paramataman and the supreme knowledge, knows that he and Laxmi are the same. He knows the truth about the universe and he is beyond any diversity. As long as he was Lord Vishnu, he was Achyuta, immovable and unchangeable. Sage Bhrigu’s curse could not get manifested. Because there was no Vishnu and Laxmi! Both were part of the one supreme paramatma. As long as Lord Vishnu remained in his enlightened state, he would never experience the pain caused from bodily separation. So how could the words of Sage Bhrigu be honored? Only by being born as normal human beings and creating a destiny that would cause their separation. Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi took the destiny of Rama and Sita in ignorance of their divinity and experienced the pangs of separation to honor Sage Bhrigu’s curse. Thus, the life of Rama and Sita is to be contemplated upon as the lives of mere human beings; two mortals caught in the web of destiny, just like you and me. Rama’s greatness is not because he was an avatar but because he took birth as a normal man who was destined to be a king. Rama is praiseworthy as a man because his step-mother robbed him of his kingdom but he never held any malice towards her. Rama the prince, lost his father, and got separated from his brothers and mother. Rama, the karma yogi, to honor his father’s words, relinquished his kingdom and went into exile. While in exile, Rama, the valiant warrior, overcame insurmountable difficulties and fought against the abductor of his wife without his traditional army. Rama, the righteous king, as per the dictates of destiny, had to banish his pregnant wife, forever earning a blemish on his reputation and knowing fully well that he would be misunderstood for ages to come. Rama, the sorrowful husband, practiced Brahmacharya after he was separated from his wife. Rama, the lonely king, missed the childhood of his sons and got deprived from the joys of fatherhood. Yet Rama, the jnana yogi, discharged his duties stoically as a king. With full control over his senses, detached from material objects and always compassionate to others, Rama was a paragon of a perfect human being. Throughout his life, Rama put the needs and welfare of others above his own. He suffered like a normal man who was thrown in a tempest created by a destiny that was also chosen by him! The glory of Rama is that he was a God who manifested as a man to rescue his devotees and honor the words of a Sage whom he respected. The glory of Rama is that he was a God who willingly suffered the pangs of separation throughout his life from his one true love but never deviated from the path of Dharma. That is why he is Maryada Pushottam. K Rajaram IRS 24825 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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