Devi Sita giving Agni Pariksha

(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 113 to 118)

• Meditation: I meditate on Devi Sita giving Agni Pariksha and proving her chastity.

• Sri Rama sending message to Devi Sita: Sri Rama then sent Hanuman to Devi Sita with the message that Ravana has been killed and they are well, and told Hanuman to return with the message of Devi Sita. Hanuman entered the Ashoka grove taking the permission of Vibhisana and coming near Devi Sita, saluted her. Hanuman gave her the message of Sri Rama and consoled her saying that she need not be fearful anymore since the kingdom is now under Vibhisana. Devi Sita said that she does not have anything to give in return for conveying this wonderful message. Hanuman said that her words itself is more than gifts of diamonds etc. Hanuman then sought her permission to kill the cruel demonesses who have tormented her in this place. But Devi Sita said that they were only following the orders of the king and she has forgiven them. Also, her sufferings were due to providence and her own acts committed in the past. Devi Sita said that kindness is to be shown by a noble person even to sinners, for there is nobody who has never committed a sin. Hanuman became pleased and said that she is the right wife of Sri Rama, and then asked her to give a message in return. Devi Sita said that she longed to see her husband. Hanuman went back to Sri Rama and narrated about Devi Sita.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 113)

• Vibhisana bringing Devi Sita to Sri Rama: Sri Rama then told Vibhisana to bring Devi Sita there after she had bathed and decorated with cosmetics and ornaments. Vibhisana saluted Devi Sita and told her to come to Rama after adorning herself with jewels and ornaments. Devi Sita adorned herself as instructed by Sri Rama. Vibhisana then brought her to the presence of Sri Rama in a palanquin. Sri Rama became joyful and filled with sorrow at the same time. Vibhisana dispersed the demons. Sri Rama prevented that and said that the demons are as if his men. Sri Rama then told that Devi Sita should come to him on foot and not on palanquin. From the face of Sri Rama the vanaras felt that he has become indifferent towards his consort. However, seeing the face of Sri Rama, the mental sorrow of Devi Sita vanished.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 114)

• Sri Rama disowning Devi Sita: Sri Rama said that by the killing of Ravana, his promise to destroy the enemy has been fulfilled, and the insult meted out to her has been revenged. The efforts of Hanuman, Sugreeva and Vibhisana have borne fruits. However, all these were not done for her sake but for the glory of his illustrious dynasty. She, on whose character a suspicion has arisen (due to evil looks of Ravana) may leave him and go wherever she liked. She may seek shelter of his brothers or Sugreeva or Vibhisana. Hearing the words of Sri Rama, Devi Sita trembled for a long time.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 115)

• Devi Sita entering fire: Then she asked Sri Rama why he did not abandon her before while sending Hanuman. Her contact with Ravana is due to her helplessness and fate and not by her own will. Sri Rama has indeed never understood her, even after living with her for a long time. Devi Sita then told Lakshmana to light up a fire. Then praying to the fire god to protect her if she never swerved from Rama, she entered the fire in the presence of all the people. The celestials and sages witnessed that great scene. The demons and the vanaras started crying.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 116)

• Lord Brahma telling Sri Rama about his real nature: When Devi Sita was entering the fire and the vanaras and demons were crying, tears also filled the eyes of Sri Rama. Then gods like Kubera, Yama, Indra, Varuna, Shiva and Brahma approached Sri Rama in their aerial cars. Sri Rama saluted them. They reminded Sri Rama of his real nature of supreme divinity and asked him why he is ignoring Devi Sita like a common man. Sri Rama told them that he thinks himself as a human being by name Rama who is the son of Dasharatha. Sri Rama asked them to tell about his real nature. Lord Brahma then told that he is Narayana himself who wields the discus. He is Varaha himself with one tusk who conquered the enemies. He is the Akshara Brahman, the Truth, which pervades the (beginning), middle and end of the universe. He is the righteousness of the people. He is Vishvakshena with four arms. He is the wielder of the Sharanga bow. He is Hrishikesha (the Lord of the senses), Purusha (the supreme soul) and Purushottama (the supreme person). He is the wielder of the unconquerable sword. He is Krishna (the bestower of joy). He is of indomitable strength. He presides over the armies of our inner forces. He is Buddhi (Intellect), Kshama (Forbearance) and Dama (Subduer of the senses). He is the beginning and the end of everything. He is Upendra (Vamana Avatara) and Madhusudana (Destroyer of demon Madhu). He performs the work of Indra and puts an end to the battle (of demons). He is Padmanabha (with Lotus in navel). He is Sharanya (the giver of refuge to all). He is the great Bull with hundred heads and thousand horns representing the soul of the Vedas. He is the creator of the three worlds. He is the giver of shelter to Siddhas and Sadhyas. He is the soul of the sacrifice representing the Vashat. He is the mystic syllable Om. He is greater than the greatest. No one can know his beginning or end. He manifests in all beings, in cows and in brahmanas; in sky, mountains as well as in rivers. He has thousand feet and hundred heads, and bearing Sri, sustain the world. He is the Sesha bearing the three worlds consisting of devas, gandharvas and the danavas. His heart is Brahma, his tongue is Saraswati, and the hairs of his body, the various devas. Closing of his eyes is night and opening of his eyes is day. He is the purifying soul of the Vedas. Without him it does not exist. The entire Cosmos is his body. Earth is his firmness. Fire is his anger. Moon is his calmness. He bears the Srivatsa. He has covered the three worlds with his strides (as Vamana Avatara) during the sacrifice of king Bali. Sita is Lakshmi and he is Vishnu of dark hue. For the purpose of slaying Ravana, he has assumed a human form. Now his purpose has been fulfilled.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 117)

• Fire god restoring Devi Sita to Sri Rama: Then the Fire god came out of the fire with Sita in his arms. He said that she is completely pure in character. He told Sri Rama to take her back. Sri Rama said that he knew that Sita is pure and the fire ordeal was only to convince the three worlds. It is not possible for Ravana to obtain Sita who is like a blazing fire. Sita is not separate from him as sunlight is not separate from the Sun. Then getting united with Devi Sita, Sri Rama experienced great joy.
(Valmiki Ramayana - Yuddha Kanda - 118)

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