21. Birth of Sita (Devotional)

      Sita was wife of Vishnu's 7th avatar Rama. In her previous life she was Vedavati, the daughter of Brahmarshi Kusadhvaja, who was the son of Brihaspati, guru of all gods (refer Vamanavatar). Actually she was an incarnation of goddess Lakshmi (wife of Lord Vishnu who emerged from milk ocean while churning refer Kurmavatar). Vedavati's father wanted his child to have Vishnu as her husband and rejected many powerful kings and celestial beings who sought his daughter's hand. Outraged by his rejection, a powerful demon king Sambhu murdered her parents in the middle of a moonless night. From then Vedavati was living in the ashram of her parents, meditating night and day and performing a great tapasya to win Vishnu as her husband. She was inexpressibly beautiful, in the bloom of her youth, enhanced by her tapasya.

      Once Ravana found Vedavati sitting in meditation and was captivated by her incredible beauty. He proposed her and was rejected. Finding himself firmly rejected at every turn, he tried to molest Vedavati by pulling her hair. This greatly incensed her and she forthwith cut off her hair. She told him that she will born again for his destruction and entered into the fire before his eyes. Ravana also jumped in the fire searching for Vedavathi. He could not trace Vedavathi, but found three diamond pieces. He brought them to his wife Mandodari who kept them in a box. Later when the box was opened, they found a child instead of diamond pieces. Ravana tried to kill that child doubting that she may become a reason of his death as told by Vedavati. But Mandodari stopped him and asked her servants to throw the baby in the sea. The child after being thrown by the servants of Mandodari was accepted by Bhoodevi (earth goddess) as her daughter.

      King Janaka was ruling Mithila. He was not only a brave king but was as well-versed in the Sastras and Vedas as any rishi. In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna cites Janaka as an illustrious example of the Karma yogin. Once Janaka was tilling his land in fulfilment of an ordained ritual. Then Bhoodevi placed the box with that baby in the way of plough. Janaka found the box with the baby and got surprised. He was childless and accepted the infant as the goddess Bhoodevi's gift to him. She was named 'Sita' means one who manifested herself at the end of the plough (Sita). Sita was also known as 'Ayonija' means one who was not born of the human womb.