The hermit woman-Vedavati

Vedavati wanted to marry Vishnu. To win his heart, she gave up worldly life and became a hermit, immersing herself in meditation and rigorous austerities. One day, Ravana, the rakshasn king, caught site of Vedavati meditating on the riverbank. Overwhelmed by desire, he tried to possess her by force. To escape, Vedavati leapt into a fire pit and burnt herself to death, swearing that in her next birth she would be the cause of her Ravana's death.

Vedavati was reborn as Ravana's daughter. As soon as she was born, the oracles foretold that she would kill her father. To save himself, Ravana flung the child into the sea. The girl did not die. The sea-goddess Varuni saved the child and delivered her into the arms of the earth-goddess Prithvi. The goddess Prithvi gave Vedavati to King Janaka who named the girl child "Sita".

Janaka, king of Videha, found Sita as he was ploughing the sacred fields of the earth mother goddess. Sita grew up to be a beautiful woman.A strong woman, capable of playing with Shiva's bow, a sacred weapon that few men could lift. Janaka her father only wanted the best for her. She should marry a man capable of stringing this divine bow. Rama, prince of Ayodhya, won Sita's hand in marriage. Years later, palace intrigues forced Rama to leave his city and live like a hermit in the forest. A dutiful wife, Sita followed her husband into the forest, sharing his misfortune.

The faithful wife of Rama

When Rama and Sita returned to Ayodhva, the populace doubted the sanctity of Sita. Was Sita true to her husband while she was in Lanka?" To prove her chastity, Sita walked on fire and survived the flames. The people were not convinced. They refused to accept as queen a woman who lived under another man's roof. Rama, now king, was forced to accept the wishes of his people. He abandoned Sita. Rama, however, refused to remarry. Never having doubted his wife's virtue.He ruled the kingdom with a golden idol of Sita by his side.

Meanwhile, there rose from the ruins of Lanka, a demon with a thousand heads terrorizing all. On the frontiers of Ayodhya, Rama with his mighty army failed to subdue him, but "Only a chaste woman can kill this demon," said the oracles. The women of the city were asked to hurl weapons at the demon. Terrified, the people of Ayodhya turned to Sita. Sita, who lived alone in the forest after her rejection by the people, entered the battlefield armed with Shiva's bow. She raised her weapon and shot an arrow right through the demon's heart. He fell dead at her feet. Now convinced of Sita's purity, the people of Ayodhya begged her to return to the city. But she refused. Instead she returned to Mother earth.

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