Sita

Since Rama is also one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu, the spouse of Rama Sita is understood as one of the incarnations of Lakshmi , the divine girlfriend of Vishnu . In the Rig Veda , Sita is mentioned only once, in one hymn (Book IV, No. 57), addressed to the patron gods of agriculture. In the later Vedic monuments (“Parascara-grihya sutra”), Sita is the wife of the god Indra , which may be related to the rare (the only one in “Rig Veda”) epithet of Indra - urvarapati (lord of the field). In the Taittiriya Brahmin, Sita receives the epithet Savitri . Apparently, in this Vedic image reflected a pale remnant of a brighter and more developed mythical personification. Due to the neglect of its original content, mythological creativity tries to match this image with other, more tenacious and vivid mythical personalities - Indra, Savitar - but all these attempts are random and short-lived.

In the Ramayana epic, Sita is clothed in more vivid and definite forms, turning into the daughter of Janaka , the king of Widrega , who received poetic immortality as a friend of Rama. The connection with the Vedic Sita lurks in her birth from the furrow at the time when the king plowed the place during the sacrifice ( yajna ). Because of this supernatural way of birth, Sita is called Ionija ("not born out of the womb"). The other names of Sita are Bhumija ( bhumi - "earth"), Dharanisura ( Dharani - "carrier"), Parthivi ( prthivi - "broad") - all indicate its origin, meaning "daughter of the earth".

In the Ramayana, Sita is considered the embodiment of the goddess of beauty Lakshmi . Sita's father is Janaka, so she was sometimes called Janaki. Sita is compared with the moonlight, which gives coolness, and her husband Rama (Ramachandra) - with a beautiful month: just as the light of the month comes from the Month, so Sita will follow her beloved Rama.

According to the Ramayana, of all the inhabitants of Mithila, only Sita could move the heavy chest in which the bow of Shiva was kept. Janaka could marry his daughter only to someone who was as strong as her. Janaka announced that he would give Sita to wife for those who could pull the string on this bow. Many princes unsuccessfully tried to do this, but were unable to even raise the bow. When the turn of Rama came, he not only pulled the bow string, but also broke it.

Sita moved to Ayodhya , but after some time, she voluntarily agreed to go into exile in the forest for 14 years with Rama and Lakshmana . In the forest, Sita was guarded by Rama and Lakshmana. Once, Sita liked a deer that ran past, and she asked Rama to catch him. Rama did not return for a long time and the concerned Sita sent Lakshmana to help, left alone, without protection. Lakshmana drew a protective circle around the hut and told Sita not to go beyond it. Rakshasa Ravana under the guise of a brahman asked Sita for food and, as soon as she went beyond the protective circle, carried her to Lanka .

Hanuman , having learned from Vibhishana about Sita's whereabouts, took on the appearance of a little monkey and began to watch her. Every day Ravana came to Sita and persuaded her to become his wife. In the end, he gave her a month to think and left. When Sita was left alone, Hanuman handed her the ring to Rama, but Sita was frightened by taking him for rakshasa , who took on the appearance of a monkey. Then Hanuman appeared before her in her original guise, but this did not convince Sita. Sita believed Hanuman only when he told about a case with a crow known only to her and Rama. Hanuman suggested to Cita to immediately transfer her to the Vanara camp to Rama, but Sita found it inappropriate and refused. In parting, Sita gave Hanuman her scallop. Hanuman set fire to the palaces of Lanka and went to the camp of Vanaras to Rama.

Rama gathered an army of vanars and bears, attacked Lanka and killed Ravana. To everyone's surprise, Rama ordered Sita to pass the test of fire. Sita entered the blazing bonfire, but the flames did not cause her any harm. Agni himself, in the guise of a brahman, led her out of the fire and put it in Rama's hands. Thereby, Sita proved that she always remained pure in her thoughts, words and actions.

After the victory over Ravana, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and all who could fit in, they got into the Vimana Pushpaku and went to Ayodhya, where Rama was returned from exile in a big way. It is time for peace and prosperity, which is called Ramarajja . Once Rama found out that his subjects criticized him for accepting his wife who had been held captive by Raksasas . Rama had to send pregnant Sita into exile into the forest at that time. There she was sheltered by the sage Valmiki .

In the forest at Sita two sons were born: Lava and Kush . When they grew up, they caught a horse, intended for the asvamedhi sacrifice, and destroyed all the army of Rama. In the end the war was ended. Lava and Kush recognized Rama as their father, and the saddened Sita decided to conduct the Sati rite. Her body was taken by Mother Earth, and the soul went to Vaikuntha .

An asteroid (244) named Sita , discovered in 1884, is named after Sita.

• Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram

• Ramayana
• “The Tale of Rama” - a literary exposition of E. N. Temkin and VG Erman
• Sita Upanishad
• Sita // Encyclopedic dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 tons (82 tons and 4 extra). - SPb. , 1890-1907.