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Name · Sanskrit

सीता

Sita

(sītā)

Furrow of the earth — the ideal queen, daughter of the earth, beloved of Rama

Full Meaning

Sītā means "furrow" — the line made by a plough. She was found by King Janaka while ploughing his field, emerging from the earth itself. She is the ideal queen and devoted wife in the Rāmāyaṇa, embodying steadfastness, purity, and moral courage. Her abduction by Rāvaṇa and rescue by Rāma is the central story of the epic.

Etymology

From the root sī (सी) — to bind, to furrow. Sītā is "the furrow" — she who came from the earth.

Usage in Sanskrit Texts

Sita's devotion to dharma is shown not in obedience but in moral strength — she refuses Ravana even after years of captivity, endures the fire test (agni parīkṣā), and ultimately returns to her mother, the earth.

जानकी जनकसुता — Jānakī, the daughter of Janaka. One of Sita's many names, each carrying her story.

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