Why did Sita gave Agni Pareeksha?
It’s also a little bit of a misnomer to call it the “Agni-Parikṣa” because Rāma never actually ordered Sītā to enter fire, as many modern people (including critics of Lord Rāma’s actions) are apt to think.
When Sītā is brought before Him, Rāma, after publicly professing doubt in her character, actually says:
तद्गच्छ त्वानुजानेऽद्य यथेष्टं जनकात्मजे |
एता दश दिशो भद्रे कार्यमस्ति न मे त्वया || ६-११५-१८
"O Seetha! That is why, I am permitting you now. Go wherever you like. All these ten directions are open to you, my dear lady! There is no work to be done to me, by you." (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 6.115.18)
It is important to understand that Rāma, Whom the text (VR 6.117.13–16) identifies as the all-knowing Nārāyaṇa, actually had no such doubt about Sītā’s character, as His indifference to her was merely an act when in reality He was tearful at the thought of how He was about to behave towards her (VR 6.114.5).
Furthermore, while many are of the view that Rāma had to prove Sītā’s purity to the assembled witnesses, the reality is that the assembled witnesses had no such doubt either. Lakṣmaṇa was said to have become angry when Sītā asked him to prepare the pyre by which she would immolate herself (VR 6.116.20) and only acceded to her request when he divined Rāma’s hidden intention (VR 6.116.21). The others in the assembly were unable to look at Rāma (VR 6.116.22) since they, too, had only wanted to see Sītā reunited with Rāma. The assembled devas including Brahmā and Śiva also express their doubts about Rāma’s behavior (VR 6.117.6) as if He is somehow, impossibly, unaware of His own divinity.
Then when Agni presents Sītā to Rāma, he states:
नैव वाचा न मनसा नैव बुद्ध्या न चक्षुषा |
सुवृत्ता वृत्तशौण्डीर्यं न त्वामत्यचरच्छुभा || ६-११८-६
रावणेनापनीतैषा वीर्योत्सिक्तेन रक्षसा |
त्वया विरहिता दीना विवशा निर्जनाद्वनात् || ६-११८-७
रुद्ध चान्तःपुरे गुप्ता त्वच्चित्ता त्वत्परायणा |
रक्षिता राक्षसीभिश्च घोराभिर्घोरबुद्धिभिः || ६-११८-८
प्रलोभ्यमाना विविधं तर्ज्यमाना च मैथिली |
नाचिन्तयत तद्रक्षस्त्वद्गतेनान्तरात्मना || ६-११८-९
विशुद्धभावां निष्पापां प्रतिगृह्णीष्व मैथिलीम् |
न किंचिरभिधातव्या अहमाज्ञापयामि ते || ६-११८-१०
"This auspicious lady, whose character has been good, has never been unfaithful to you who are endowed with strength of character either by word or by mind or even by intellect or by her glances."
"Separated from you, this miserable and helpless lady, was taken away by Ravana the demon, who was arrogant of his valour, from a lonely hermitage."
"This Seetha, who was fixing her mind upon you ad looking on you as her final attainment, was detained in the gynaecium and hidden there. She was guarded by rightful female-demons with horrible intellect."
"Seetha, whose mind was directed towards you, ignored that demon even though allured and frightened through various means."
"Take back Seetha, who is sinless, with a pure character. She should not be told anything harsh. I hereby command you." (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 6.117.6–10)
It is then that Rāma admits that He sought only to convince the whole world of Sītā’s spotless character:
प्रत्ययार्थं तु लोकानां त्रयाणाम् सत्यसंश्रयः |
उपेक्षे चापि वैदेहीं प्रविशन्तीं हुताशनम् || ६-११८-१७
"In order to convince the three worlds, I, whose refugee is truth, ignored Seetha while she was entering the fire." (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 6.118.17)
It’s important to understand that Sītā’s fidelity as a wife was only the external cause of Rāma’s behavior. What is actually being showcased here is Sītā’s one-pointed, uncompromising, and selfless devotion to Rāma even in the face of being mistreated. Devotion like this is not of an earthly nature, and indeed, the text itself states that Sītā and Rāma are not an ordinary couple, but rather Lakṣmī and Nārāyaṇa themselves:
सीता लक्ष्मीर्भवान् विष्णुर्देवः कृष्णः प्रजापतिः || ६-११७-२८
वधार्थं रावणस्येह प्रविष्टो मानुषीं तनुम् |
"Seetha is no other than Goddess Lakshmi (the divine consort of Lord Vishnu), while you are Lord Vishnu. You are having a shining dark-blue hue. You are the Lord of created beings. For the destruction of Ravana, you entered a human body here, on this earth." (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 6.117.28)
Though she could have left that place and chosen anyone else as her husband (she was exhorted to do so in VR 6.115.21–23), she would have none of it as she only accepted Rāma as her Lord.
The same sort of exclusive dependence on her Lord was also on display when, during Rāvaṇa’s torments, she frankly declared:
असंदेशात्तु रामस्य तपसश्चामपालनात् |
न त्वां कुर्मि दशग्रीव भस्म भर्मार्ह तेजसा || ५-२२-२०
"O Ravana! Although you are suited to be burnt into ashes, not having the mandate of Rama and preserving austerity, I am not reducing you into ashes with my glory." (Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa 5.22.20)
When Sītā was unwilling even to free herself from Rāvaṇa’s clutches despite having the ability to do so, then what is the conclusion that the reader is meant to understand?
The conclusion is that Sītā is not an ordinary devoted wife, but a 100% fully surrendered devotee of Nārāyaṇa who would have no other Lord, who would do nothing without His sanction, whose purity was greater even than that of fire, and who saw Rāma as her final attainment (tvatparāyaṇā). The ultimate lesson, therefore, is about the glory of śaraṇāgati and the glories of one who, like Sītā, had attained it.
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