Mithilā
Sītā
Daughter of Janaka, found in a furrow of the earth. Her voice is sharper in Vālmīki than in most retellings. She argues, rebukes and decides.
Bāla KāṇḍaVālmīki (primary text)In the text
Sītā is Janaka's daughter, married to Rāma at Mithilā, and the reason the war is fought. In Laṅkā she answers Rāvaṇa's threats with contempt, and when Rāma meets her again after the victory she speaks sharply to him. Her last scenes belong to Uttara Kāṇḍa, whose standing is debated, and they are among the most contested in the tradition.
Primary text: Śrīmad Vālmīkīya Rāmāyaṇa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Later traditions and living-tradition associations are labelled as such. Return to the Rāmāyaṇa World.