Biography of goddess sita artwork

Infuriated she cursed Lakshmi to be born as a plant. With no fault of her Lakshmi, enraged with Saraswati's unjust behaviour, also retaliated and cursed her to turn into a river. Saraswati also cursed Ganga to become a river. After the rows of curses was over, Vishnu explained to Lakshmi that she would take birth as the daughter of Dharmadhwaja on the earth with Tulsi as her name, and from a portion of her would grow a plant of the same name.

Dharmadhwaja and Kushadhwaja were the sons of Rathadhwaja and the grandsons of Vrashadhwaja. Vrashadhwaja was Shiva's devotee. He hence promulgated the worship of Shiva in exclusion to all other gods. This annoyed all gods. Consequently Surya cursed Vrashadhwaja depriving him and his descendents of all their riches and lustre. The curse instantly worked.

For redeeming themselves and their descendants from the curse Dharmadhwaja and Kushadhwaja, Vrashadhwaja's descendents in the third generation, did great penance to please Lakshmi who alone could revive their glory. Satisfied with their great austerities Lakshmi appeared and as desired promised Dharmadhwaja and Kushadhwaja to take birth as the daughter of each of them.

In due course Dharmadhwaja's wife Madhavi gave birth to a girl child. They named her Tulsi. The child was born by a portion of Lakshmi. His brother Kushadhwaja along with his wife Malavati also awaited Lakshmi to take birth as their daughter. Lest he transgressed from his path he was always reciting hymns from the Vedas. One day when so reciting Vedic hymns there emerged from his mouth a child with divine aura on its face.

The child was no other than the one born by another portion of Lakshmi. Kushadhwaja named the child Vedavati, sometimes alluded to as Devavati. One day, a demon named Shambhu came to the hermitage of Kushadhwaja. He saw Vedavati and fascinated by her tempting beauty desired to marry her. He asked Kushadhwaja for her hand but Kushadhwaja refused. This annoyed Shambhu but he went away.

However, he came back in the night and killed Kushadhwaja. Hearing her father's shriek Vedavati rushed to him. When she found him lying in a pool of blood, her eyes burnt with wrath. With her fiery eyes she looked at the biography of goddess sita artwork and in a moment he was burnt to ashes. Left alone Vedavati retired to Himalayas where determined to have Mahavishnu as her husband she began performing severe penance.

It was around the same time when Ravana was on his victory campaign and having defeated most of the kings of plain was in Himalayan region. Suddenly he saw Vedavati engaged in penance. Her celestial beauty mesmerized him. He went to her and asked to give up her bark clothes and matted hair and marry him, and when she refused, caught her hold and began dragging her forcibly.

Vedavati resisted, even hurt him with her nails and teeth, but when unable to protect her, she wished that the mortal body which a wicked man had rendered impure by his touch be destroyed. Her divine wish worked, and the very moment there rose from the earth a celestial fire and Vedavati jumped into it and turned into ashes. Before she immolated her she warned Ravana that she would be re-born as Mahavishnu's consort and for her Mahavishnu would kill him.

She would be thus the cause of his destruction. Conversation Between Sita and Ravana. Ravana, deeply engrossed in her love, was shocked at the loss of such paramount beauty. He collected her ashes in a golden boxbrought them to Lanka and consecrated them at a secluded place which he visited everyday. However, since that day Lanka everyday witnessed one bad omen or other.

One day Narada visited Lanka. Ravana asked him the cause of these bad omens and how he could get rid of them. Narada explained that their occurrence was linked with Vedavati's ashes and advised him to shift them out of Lanka without opening the box. He warned that a great disaster would take place if the box was opened. As advised, Ravana instantly picked the box from its place and dropped in into the ocean.

One day a gang of pirates saw it. They collected and carried it to Indian main land, their home. However, whenever they tried to open it something untoward occurred. Out of fear they buried it into a pit near a river in Mithila region without opening it. After some time king Janaka selected the spot where lied buried this box for installing agni for the performance of his yajna and ploughed it.

While ploughing it the box was unearthed and from it emerged a girl child. United with the spirit of Vedavati and the holy ambience of Videha the ashes contained in the box had transformed into it. Janaka brought the child to his palace where it was received with royal grandeur and was named Sita. Once with the objective of obtaining Lakshmi as his daughter king Padmaksha did severe penance which pleased Mahavishnu who gave him 'Matu-linga', and thereby a daughter was born to him.

It is in context to this Matu-linga myth that Sita is sometimes alluded to as Matulingi. Padmaksha named his daughter Padma. When of marriageable age, Padmaksha held his daughter's Swayamvara - bride wedding by her own choice out of the suitors participating in it. However, before the Swayamvara was accomplished a band of rakshasas - demons, stormed the venue, destroyed everything and killed king Padmaksha.

Unable to protect her otherwise Padma, foiling the attempt of rakshasas to obtain her, jumped into fire and disappeared. In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology. After some time Padma emerged from fire. It was for her emergence from fire that Sita is sometimes alluded to as Agnija - born of fire. Incidentally, at the time when she emerged from fire Ravana, flying in his Pushpaka Vimana - aircraft named Pushpaka, passed over the spot and saw Padma.

Infatuated by her rare beauty he got down with the biography of goddess sita artwork of obtaining her. However, before he could biography of goddess sita artwork her she created fire by her will, entered into it and burnt. Ravana searched the pile of burning wood and found in it five jewels into which Padma had transformed. Ravana collected them and put them into a gold-box and when back to Lanka gave to his wife Mandodari.

A few days later Mandodari opened the box and to her utter dismay found sitting into it a virgin with rare beauty. It shook Mandodari with fear for being the cause of the destruction of her father Padmaksha, his family and state Mandodari believed that the presence of the girl in Lanka would only inflict destruction on it. She hence pressurized her husband to cast the box outside Lanka.

Ravana carried it to Mithila and buried it there. Before the box was buried a voice from inside the box warned Ravana that she would again come to Lanka and kill him and his clan. One day, a Brahmin, while ploughing his field, found the box, and as required the prevalent practice in regard to underground things, he carried the box to king Janaka who opened it and found in it a beautiful child.

He adopted her and named her Sita. Though it yet relates to Sita and Ravana, the Adbhuta Ramayana has a different version of the myth. Having grown immensely powerful Ravana's excesses were on increase. He was particularly cruel to sages of Janasthana engaged in penance. He took delight in shooting his arrows on them and collected in a big pot the blood that these arrows extracted from their bodies.

Those days Janasthana had a great sage known as Gratsamada engaged in rigorous penance for obtaining a daughter such as would equal Lakshmi in every thing. In his own way he recited a hymn and when concluding it he would take a little milk on a Dharba grass-leaf and pour it into a pot. As if making oblation to the divine power he was dedicated to, he repeated it with recitation of each hymn believing that the day the pot was full his wish would also be accomplished.

Adbhuta Ramayana Different Ramayanas of India. Ravana who sought great delight in tormenting sages engaged in penance knew that deprivation of his ritual pot would more grievously torment Gratsmada than would do any of his arrows. Hence, one day Ravana rushed into the hermitage of Gratsmada and carried away his pot of milk. He poured the milk that the Gratsmada's pot contained into his pot filled with the blood of the sages, shook it thoroughly and gave it to his queen Mandodari to keep it.

Ravana's cruelties and misdeeds were on increase everyday which Mandodari did not like. Annoyed as she was, Mandodari one day decided to commit suicide and with such intention swallowed the contents of the pot. However, instead of bringing death it made her pregnant. Fearing Ravana's contempt she buried that foetus at Kurukshetra. After sometime from the spot where the foetus was buried there emerged a girl child that king Janaka adopted with Sita as her name.

This myth gives Sita her name Raktaja, one born of blood. Sita is an important goddess in the Vaishnavite traditions of Hinduism. Regarded as the avatara of goddess Lakshmishe is mentioned in various scriptures and text of Hindu traditions. Sita is the primary character of the minor Upanishad Sita Upanishad[ 51 ] which is attached to the Atharva Veda.

Sita along with Rama appears as the central character in Valmiki Samhitawhich is attributed to their worship and describes them to be the ultimate reality. The sages said: "In the earthly realm, the celestial space, and the heavenly realms, and in the seven continents on Earth, in the three worlds—heaven, mortal, and the netherworld. All these, including space and the sky, reside within you.

You embody joy, delight, exhilaration, and bliss. Oh sustainer of all realms, Sri Sita! We bow to you repeatedly. Apart from other versions of Ramayanamany 14th-century Vaishnava saints such as Nabha DassTulsidas and Ramananda have mentioned Sita, in their works. Kalidasa 's Raghuvamsa gives a detail account of Sita's swayamvara, abduct and her exile, in the cantos 10 to The Sita-Rama and Radha-Krishna pairs represent two different personality sets, two perspectives on dharma and lifestyles, both cherished in the way of life called Hinduism.

Sita and Radha offer two templates within the Hindu tradition. If "Sita is a queen, aware of her social responsibilities", states Pauwels, then "Radha is exclusively focused on her romantic relationship with her lover", giving two contrasting role models from two ends of the moral universe. Yet they share common elements as well. Both face life challenges and are committed to their true love.

They are both influential, adored and beloved goddesses in the Hindu culture. In worship of Rama, Sita is represented as a dutiful and loving wife, holding a position entirely subordinate to Rama. However, in the worship of Radha Krishna, Radha is often preferred over to Krishna, and in certain traditions, her name is elevated to a higher position compared to Krishna's.

In this poetic form version, Sita is the central character of the epic. The Adbhuta Ramayana is written by Valmiki himself and is shorter than the original epic. Sita is accorded far more prominence in this variant of the Ramayana narrative. Seeing Rama unconscious and helpless on the field, Sita gives up her human appearance and takes the horrific form of Mahakali.

In less than a second, she severed Sahastra Ravana's heads and began destroying rakshasas everywhere. Sita is eventually pacified by the gods, Rama's consciousness is restored and the story moves forward. The Sanskrit play Mahaviracharita by Bhavabhuti is based on the early life of Rama. According to the play, Vishwamitra invites Janaka to attend his sacrifice, but he sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila, as his delegates.

This is the place, where Rama and Sita met for the first time. Saptakanda Ramayana written by Madhava Kandali is a version of Ramayana known for its non-heroic portrayal of Rama, Sita, and other characters, which rendered the work unsuitable for religious purposes. Sita in Hinduismis revered as the goddess of beauty and devotion. She is mostly depicted along with her husband Rama and is shakti or prakriti of Rama, as told in the Ram Raksha Stotram.

Mithila artwhich originated at Sita's birthplace depicts Sita and Rama's marriage ceremony through the paintings. In Rama and Sita's temple, she is always placed on Rama's right, with a golden-yellow complexion. Her jewelry is either made of metals, pearls or flowers. In the RamayanaSita is mostly depicted in saris and is called ethereal and divine.

Praising her beauty in the Aranya KandaRavana stated. The Sanskrit text and a minor UpanishadSita Upanishad describes Sita as the ultimate reality of the universe Brahmanthe ground of being Spiritualityand material cause behind all manifestation. She has a brother named Bhamandal who is kidnapped soon after his birth by a deity due to animosity in a previous life.

He is thrown into a garden of Rathnupur where he is dropped into the arms of King Chandravardhan of Rathnupur. The king and queen bring him up as their own son. Ram and Sita get married due to Bhamandal and in the course of events Bhamandal realises that Sita is his sister. It is then that he meets his birth parents. They are not banished but sent away to the Himalayas by King Dasaratha in order to protect them from their jealous stepmother, the only antagonist.

When things have cooled down, Rama and Sita return to Benaras — and not Ayodhya — and get married. In HinduismSita is revered as the goddess. She has been portrayed as an ideal daughter, an ideal wife and an ideal mother in various texts, stories, illustrations, movies and modern media. The occasion of her marriage to Rama is celebrated as Vivaha Panchami.

The actions, reactions, and instincts manifested by Sita at every juncture in a long and arduous life are deemed exemplary. Her story has been portrayed in the book Sitayanam. Ananda W. Guruge opined that Sita was the central theme of the epic.

Biography of goddess sita artwork

Known for her feminine courage, she is often been cited as one of the defining figures of Indian womanhood. Throughout her life, Sita has taken crucial decisions such as accompanying Rama to exile or protecting her dignity in Ashoka Vatika. Sita's character and life has significant influence on modern women. On this, Malashri Lal, the co-editor of In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology noted, "Modern-day women continue to see themselves reflected in films, serials, and soap operas based on Sita's narrative.

She has been portrayed as a "folk heroine" in several Maithili songs and continue being a primary figure for women through folktales. Bhargava stated. Some see her as victimized and oppressed who obeyed her husband's commands, remained faithful to him, served her in-laws or yielded to parental authority. Yet, there are others who see a more liberated Sita, who was outspoken, had the freedom to express herself, said what she wanted to in order to get her way, spoke harsh biographies of goddess sita artwork, repented for it, loved her husband, was faithful to him, served her family, did not get seduced by the glamour and material objects in Lanka, faced an angry husband, tried to appease him, reconciled her marriage, later accepted her separation, raised well balanced children as a single mother and then moved on.

Although Sita's statue is always kept with Rama's statue in Rama temples, there are some temples dedicated to Sita:. As part of the Bhakti movementRama and Sita became the focus of the Ramanandi Sampradayaa sannyasi community founded by the 14th-century North-Indian poet-saint Ramananda. This community has grown to become the largest Hindu monastic community in modern times.

Prajapati describes Sita as primal Prakriti, or primordial nature. Sita Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of the goddess Sita, one of the most popular deities in Hinduism, and an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. It is celebrated on the navami ninth day of the Shukla Paksha first lunar fortnight of the Hindu month of Vaishakha.

She is considered the epitome of womanhood and is regarded as the ideal wife and mother in the Indian subcontinent. On the occasion of Sita Navami, married women fast for their husbands's long life. Vivaha Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita in the Janakpurdham which was the capital city of Mithila. It is observed on the fifth day of the Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the Agrahayana month November — December as per the Bikram Samvat calendar and in the month of Mangsir.

Rama and Sita's life is remembered and celebrated every year with dramatic plays and fireworks in autumn. This is called Ramlilaand the play follows the Ramayana or more commonly the Ramcharitmanas. The epic and its dramatic play migrated into southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE, and Ramayana based Ramlila is a part of performance arts culture of Indonesia, particularly the Hindu society of BaliMyanmarCambodia and Thailand.

In some parts of India, Rama and Sita's return to Ayodhya and their coronation is the main reason for celebrating Diwalialso known as the Festival of Lights. Vasanthotsavam is an annual Seva celebrated in Tirumala to celebrate the arrival of spring season. On the third day, abhishekam is performed to the idols of RamaSita, Lakshmana and Hanumana along with Krishna and Rukmini.

Procession of the consecrated idols are taken in a procession in the evening on all the three days. In the Indonesian version, especially in Javanese wayang stories. Uniquely, she is also referred to as Ravana's own biological daughter, the Javanese version of Ravana is told that he fell in love with a female priest named Widawati. However, Widawati rejected his love and chose to commit suicide.

Ravana was determined to find and marry the reincarnation of Widawati. On the instructions of his teacher, Resi Maruta, Rahwana learns that Widawati will incarnate as his own daughter. But when his wife named Dewi Kanung gave birth, Ravana went to expand the colony. Wibisana took the baby girl who was born by Kanung to be dumped in the river in a crate.

Wibisana then exchanged the baby with a baby boy she had created from the sky. The baby boy was finally recognized by Ravana as his son, and later became known as Indrajit. Meanwhile, the baby girl who was dumped by Wibisana was carried by the river to the territory of the Mantili Kingdom. The king of the country named Janaka took and made her an adopted daughter, with the name Shinta.

The next story is not much different from the original version, namely the marriage of Shinta to Sri Rama, her kidnapping, and the death of Ravana in the great war. However, the Javanese version says, after the war ended, Rama did not become king in Ayodhya, but instead built a new kingdom called Pancawati. From her marriage to Rama, Sinta gave birth to two sons named Ramabatlawa and Ramakusiya.

The first son, namely Ramabatlawa, brought down the kings of the Mandura Kingdom, including Basudeva, and also his son, Krishna. The Javanese version of Krishna is referred to as the reincarnation of Rama, while his younger brother, Subhadra, is referred to as the reincarnation of Shinta. Thus, the relationship between Rama and Shinta, who in the previous life was husband and wife, turned into brother and sister in the next life.

Shinta is the daughter of an angel named Batari Tari or Kanun, the wife of Ravana. Shinta is believed to be the incarnation of Btari Widawati, the wife of Lord Vishnu. In the seventh month, Kanun who was "mitoni" her pregnancy, suddenly caused a stir in the Alengka palace, because the baby he was carrying was predicted by several priests who were at the party that he would become Rahwana's "wife" his own father.

Ravana was furious. He rose from his throne and wanted to behead Kanun. But before it was realized, Ravana suddenly canceled his intention because he thought who knew his child would become a beautiful child. Thus, she too will be willing to marry him. Sure enough, when Ravana was on an overseas service, his empress gave birth to a baby girl with a very beautiful face glowing like the full moon.

Wibisana Ravana's sister who is holy and full of humanity, immediately took the baby and put it in Sinta's diamond, then anchored it into the river. Only God can help him, that's what Wibisana thought. He immediately made the black mega cloud into a baby boy who would later be named Megananda or Indrajit. Syahdan a hermit named Prabu Janaka from the land of Mantili, begged the gods to be blessed with offspring.

So surprised when he opened his eyes, he heard the cry of a baby in a sinking ketupat floating in the river. The baby was taken with pleasure and brought home adopted as his son. Because the baby is known to be in the diamond Sinta, then he was given the name Sinta. After being 17 years old, Sinta made a commotion all the youth, both domestic and foreign cadets because of her beauty.

One day, a contest was held. Anyone who can draw the giant bow of Mantili's national heritage will become Sinta's mate. Ramawijaya, who was studying at the Brahmin Yogiswara, was advised to take part in the contest. Of course, Rama was successful, because he was the incarnation of Vishnu. Engagements and marriages are all enlivened with debauchery, both in the country of Mantili and in Ayodya.

But luck was not good for both of them, while enjoying their honeymoon, suddenly the crown belonged to Kekayi, Rama's stepmother. Dasarata Mr. Rama was ordered to hand over the crown to Bharata Rama's younger brother. In addition, Rama, Sinta and Laksmana had to leave the palace into the wilderness for 13 years. In exile in the jungle, Sinta is unable to contain her desire to control the tempting Kijang Kencana, which someone who is concerned should not have.

What was sparkling, at first he thought would make him happy, but on the contrary. Not only can Kijang Kencana be caught, but moreover he is captured and held captive by his own lust, which is manifested in the form of Ravana. Briefly he was diruda paripaksa, put in a gold cage in Alengka for about 12 years. However, Shinta's suffering did not end there.

After being released, she was still suspected of her chastity by her own husband Ramawijaya. So, to show that as long as in the reign of the King of Alengka, Sinta has not been stained, Shinta proves herself by plunging into the fire. Shinta was saved from the raging fire by the gods of heaven. Sita is referred to as Neang Seda in the Cambodian version Reamker.

Firstly, Rama married Sita, by completing the challenge of firing arrows through a spinning wheel with spokes. Later, Neang Seda Sita leave for the forest immediately after passing the test, as she is deeply offended by her husband's lack of biography of goddess sita artwork in her and his lack of belief in her word. Nepal 's Janakpur is considered to be Sita's birthplace, other than Bihar 's Sitamarhi.

Sita is one of the eighteen national heroes rastriya bibhuti of Nepal. Rama and Sita have inspired many forms of performance arts and literary works. In the paintings, Hindu gods like Sita-Rama are in center with their marriage ceremony being one of the primary theme. Sita is a primary figure in Maithili musicof the Mithila region. About the paintings Both these paintings were produced in Kamasan in the early twentieth century.

Although both paintings depict the same subject and the arrangement of figures is similar, if you look carefully several differences can be detected. Painting E has been hanged as a curtain suspended with kepeng Chinese coins used as curtain rings. A length of patterned fabric has been sewn along the bottom of the painting. Explanations Pyre is a pile of burning material, here a pile of wood on which a dead body is ceremonially cremated.

Rama Navami, the final day of a larger nine day festival called Vasanthothsavam the "Festival of Spring"is considered the wedding anniversary of Rama and Sita. On this day, worshippers perform marriage celebrations for small statues of Sita and Rama in their houses. In the evening, these statues are taken onto the streets in a grand procession.

For the duration of Rama Navami, temples are festooned with elaborate decorations, and readings of the Ramayana take place. All the while, Hindus worldwide direct their prayers to Rama and Sita, as well as their close companions. Sita is also widely acknowledged alongside her husband during the ten day Vijayadashami festival, appearing as a major character in a dramatic performance of the Ramayana called the Rama-lila, which is performed throughout India.

Furthermore, during Diwali "the Festival of Lights" in North India, lamps and candles are customarily lit in order to reenact the legend that oil lamps were lit along the path to Ayodhya to guide Rama and Sita back home after Ravana had been defeated. Traditionally, Hinduism has championed Sita as the role-model and epitome of domestic wifely duty towards one's husband.

Her elevated status in Hindu mythology, however, has recently been tarnished and criticized by Indian feminists who see Sita as an overly-submissive wife who committed suicide for an ultimately untrusting husband. In their reassessments of the Ramayana, they have concluded that Sita's behavior is not worthy of emulation and instead identify Draupadi as a better role model based upon her confidence and resolve.

Another controversial element surrounding Sita's mythology is her test by fire Agni pariksha and her later abandonment by Rama altogether in the Uttarakanda, the last book of the epic. Due to these disturbing developments in the narrative, some later poets such as Kampan, author of the Tamil Ramayana, and Vishvanatha Satyanarayana, author of the Telegu version, have left out the latter part of the book entirely.

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To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats. The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:. Sita From New World Encyclopedia. Jump to: navigationsearch. Previous Sistine Chapel. Berkeley: University of California Press, These stories claim that Sita was actually a reincarnation of Vedavati, an orphan lady who placed a curse upon Ravana after he had ravished her.

As such, many Hindu organizations today disown the Luv-Kushkanda and state that once Rama was crowned king there was Ram rajya, an epoch in which all of humankind lived in happiness. Goldman and S. Sutherland Goldman. Sushil Mittal and Gene Thursby. London: Routledge, Oxford University Press, Notes toward a Cultural Grammar of Indian Narrative.