Lessons from Sita

The Ramayana is considered to be one of the greatest works of Hindu literature and is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful stories ever told. Rama and Sita are the main protagonists of this beautiful story, directed originally by Sage Valmiki, and the same story has been rewritten into many different versions, interpretations, and languages over the centuries because it is one of the most influential and symbolic epics. It has been an inspiration to many poets, lyricists, directors, and musicians.

Be it Valmiki Ramanyanam or Ramanand Sagar’s television series Ramayan, or Bapu’s Sampoorna Ramayanam,
Be it Molla Ramayanam or Tulsa Das Ramacharith Manas,
Be it Viswanatha Satyanarayana’s Ramayana Kalpavriksham or Ranganayakamma’s Ramayana Vishavruksham,
Be it Tyagaraja Kriti or Ramadasa Keerthana or some folk song

(now, many songs are running through my mind, situationally). What is running through your mind now?

All of these versions of the Ramayana have something in common, and that is the beauty of the Ramayana. Additionally, the characters of the Ramayana represent different aspects of the human experience and providing lessons for life. The themes of duty, loyalty, and justice are still relevant today and make the Ramayana a superhit classic.

 

Let's focus on Sita Devi today.

Sita Devi is our all-time favorite heroine, one of the main characters of the Ramayana, and wife of our hero Rama. She is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, self-respect, patience, courage, bravery (yes), strength and purity( of heart). Sita's character represents all the required traits of an ideal person, with the right thoughts and actions. Penetrating deeply into the character analysis of Sita reveals her as an epitome of immense willpower and inner strength.
Sita Devi is a role model of female leadership and serves as an inspirational figure.

Be Courageous:

Sita exhibited remarkable strength and courage when she managed to pick up Shiva's bow with one hand, something even seasoned warriors found challenging. When she was kidnapped by Ravana and taken to Lanka, Sita showed courage and determination in refusing to submit to his demands and defying his threats. Sita’s conversations with Ravana teach us to be fearless even in adverse scenarios and have faith.

Being strong physically and mentally is important because it helps individuals feel better about themselves, have more confidence, and be more resilient in the face of life's challenges.

 

Have back bone:

She never hesitated to have backbone and disagree (even with Rama. Yes, still she is PavitraNari). She is a strong-willed and determined woman who is unafraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believes in.

When Rama was going to vanavasam, Sita insisted, and her strong reasoning made Shri Ram accept her decision.

When Hanuman finds Sita in Lanka (Sundara Kanda), he expresses his desire to bring her back to Rama, but Sita disagrees, saying that this will make her look like a thief and a coward, and questions how this act of going back is any different from Ravana's kidnapping her. She insists on doing the right thing.

 

Go out of comfort zone

When Sita agreed to leave Ayodhya with Rama and go into exile in the forest, she renounced the comfort of the palace to stand up for what she believed in. When she was first asked to do Agni pareeksha, she jumped into the fire to prove her chastity without thinking much. (I am still not convinced to do this even the first time :-( .)

Upon being banished for a second time by Rama, Sita, understanding that there was no benefit in resisting the decision, chose to accept it, but ultimately decided not to return to Rama in order to preserve her self-respect. Sita teaches us to choose our battles wisely and have high self-esteem. Sita's example teaches us to be selective in our battles and to have a strong sense of self-worth.

Stay calm

While she was kidnapped and staying in Ashoka Vanam, despite all the bad treatment, Sita remained calm both on the outside and on the inside. We see her extreme forgiveness when she pardons all the female guards when Hanuman offers to kill them. She understood that what they did was a consequence of Ravana's orders.
When Sita was abandoned in the forest after the exile, she kept her calm and even raised her two sons, Lava and Kusha. She managed to raise her sons alone in the forest and teach them the values of dharma and righteousness.

She also taught us to face adversities with a brave face and to let each challenge build our strength.

Take Decisive actions

Sita took decisive actions throughout the Ramayana.

Lakshmana was reluctant to leave Sita alone, but when Sita sensed that Rama was in danger (as a result of Maareecha, the golden deer's deceit), she gave him the order to pursue Rama. She believed that helping Rama was urgently needed and would not tolerate any denial of this.

In order to give alms to Ravana, she also made the decision to defy Lakshmana Rekha.

She accepted full responsibility for these consequences and never laid blame elsewhere.

Decisive actions are important because they allow individuals to take control of a situation and move forward. Taking decisive action often involves making difficult decisions; the results might be adverse and make it easier to become unpopular, but it is necessary to ensure progress is made. Taking responsibility after taking decisive action is equally important.

Embrace the crucible experience

 

First, Sita was kidnapped and taken to Lanka against her will, then she was asked to prove her purity by doing Agnipareeksha, and she was forced to live in the forest away from her family. Throughout the Ramayana, she maintained her faith and devotion to Rama, even though she was tested in many ways.

Sita’s life exemplifies the crucible experience, with her embracing difficulties at every step. She emerged from her ordeals as a hero, never allowing the difficulties to break her spirit.

Sita Devi taught us to embrace the crucible experience to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and how to adapt to changing circumstances.

With all these characteristics, Sita truly emerges as the true hero of the Ramayana, and there is no doubt why Rama is called ‘Sita Ram'. Over all, Sita is presented as a role model to young women, demonstrating how to remain true to one's principles in difficult times.

 

 

There are many reasons many people came up with poems like this.

వంకాయ వంటి కూరయు
పంకజముఖి సీత వంటి భామామణియున్
శంకరుని వంటి దైవము
లంకాధిపు వైరివంటి రాజును గలడే?

Translation : Curry like Brinjal, precious women like lotus-faced Sita, God like Siva and King (Rama) like the enemy of lord of Lanka do ever exist ?

References:

https://greatertelugu.org/valmiki-ramayanam-sampoorna-ramayanam-telugu-book/

https://archive.org/details/MollaRamayanamu