Reading Notes: Ramayana Part D

Reading Notes from The Ramayana by R.K. Narayan

Usually in my reading notes, I present a handful of possible story ideas and narrow it down from there, but in this section of The Ramayana there is only one story I felt compelled to tell. The battle between Rama and Ravana was detailed and grandiose and Rama's coronation as emperor was even more so, but I instead want to tell a story about Sita. 

In pervious sections of The Ramayana, she was captured by Ravana because he wanted to make her his wife. We now see Sita in Ravana's kingdom, but she is "unkempt, undecorated, with a single piece of yellow sari covering her body, and with the dust of many days on her." Throughout her imprisonment, she spurned all of Ravana's advances and stayed loyal to Rama despite her prolonged captivity in Lanka. Even when met with illusions of the death of her husband, she did not flinch from her resolve. Even Hanuman was "filled with profound respect and admiration for Sita" and her devotion to Rama.

Despite all of this, Rama accused her of impropriety, of giving in to Ravana's advances and said that while he had rescued her, he could not take her back into his household. From the story, we know that Sita unflinchingly proved her fidelity by ordering a fire to be lit and tossing herself into it, her rescue by Agni thus proving her devotion. But what did she feel in that moment? Did she feel betrayed? She had suffered so long for Rama, and yet he spurned her at what was supposed to be a joyous reunion. Did she perhaps have other plans for the fire she flung herself into, but was saved by the god of fire instead? I want to explore this moment and give a voice to a strong, yet often silent character in The Ramayana.

(Sita's trial by fire, Wikimedia Commons)