Sitä - Bharat’s intangible force
In the era of Treta Yug, in the most difficult times on earth,
Sita, the celestial being was born by divine intention to Raja Janak. This was declared loud and clear with the way she was gifted to this world, directly by the hands of Dharti mata and not by the usual human process of birth.
His plough stuck the hard box while furrowing the parched land while his heart prayed in desperation for rains to revive his kingdom.
She grew up as a dutiful daughter. At the time of Sita-Swayamwar she decided to have ShriRam as her groom. She decided to be the consort of this all powerful invincible God-man.
She was not going to leave anything to chance. She prayed to Gaura Parwati and Lord Ganesha, made them relent to her and make the Shiv dhanush, featherweight in the hands of Lord Rama.
At the difficult time of declaration of vanvaas by her husband she decided to accompany him. Param vidushi ( superbly learned) that she was, she convinced him that was the right thing to do. She was his arddhangini, her place was near and with him.
When Ravana came as a mere beggar at her doorstep, knowing everything she decided upon her Karma, driven by her Dharma. She couldn't send a person begging for alms, empty handed. She did what she had to do.
In Lanka, it was the sheer aura of her sateetva, her rock-solid resolve, that Ravana, the lesser mortal that he was, couldn’t venture near her.
When Bajrangbali Hanumanji offered to take her back she refused. She couldn’t let her nor her husband’s self respect be blemished even a slightest bit.
It is the dharma of my kshatriya husband to win over the evil demon and take me back, she said.
Agni pareeksha was another formality that she decided to go through not as any obligation but just to satisfy the social norms set by ordinary people with ordinary levels of intelligence but those whom her husband must rule and make happy in future.
The Dhobi’s words came again as a challenge to both Sita-Ram. He knew he couldn’t ignore this however he felt that illiterate dhobi was. She knew it was the Dharma of her Husband as the King of the realm to respond.
To save his pious loving wife from humiliation he asked Lakshmana to leave her in exile in the night. He could & would never let these ignorant commonplace people to insult his wife.
Sitaji could easily have cribbed, cried and go back to the luxuries of her father Raja Janak, but again she was a self assertive strong person.
She again made her decision about her karma driven by her dharma. It was her responsibility to give birth to her kids and rear them up properly. She lived a very very simple life in the ashram of Maharshi Valmiki but made her sons grow to such more than perfect humans, even better than their father. This was her triumph.
When finally on the behest of Maharshi Valmiki she goes to the palace. Their eyes meet and the mutual understanding, immense love and the unwavering resolve to be steadfast on dharma flowed between the two of these super-humans, Sita-Ram.
They knew what was to come.
They knew nothing had changed.
ShriRam, the embodiment of compassion that he was, asked her to declare her piousness for the sake of the praja (people)
Sita knew what she had to do.
Her kartavya, her job as a daughter, a wife, and a mother was done with.
She pledged her sateetva in conjunction with her call to the one person she had full rights on, her mother Dharti maa to gather her in her lap.
Sita lived her life setting an example for every girl, every woman to follow…to be in the path of dharma and to be in control of her own life.
