Banishing Sita

Perhaps the most bewildering of Rama’s acts was to banish Sita after rescuing her from the grips of Ravana. If Lord Rama’s descent was to set the ideal example, how do we justify such a (seemingly) harsh, cruel and immoral act? Sitadevi was pure, chaste, untouched and completely innocent, and to exile her because of nonsensical rumours seems unforgivable. In order to understand this, we have to look at the practical reality, the principle involved and the deeper purpose of the Lord. []

Practical – Sitadevi wasn’t cruelly exiled with no means of survival, but rather given a suitable living situation where she would be fully protected. She was carefully placed under the care of Valmiki Rishi and female hermits within the kingdom of Ayodhya. But why was she banished from the palace?

Principle – while navigating life we are often confronted with a conflict of principles. It’s an art to expertly respond and resolve such dilemmas. As an ideal husband, Ramacandra had a duty to care for His chaste wife. As a king, Ramacandra had the responsibility of being spotless and free from any suspicion or character flaw. He expertly balanced both principles by ensuring Sita’s protection, and simultaneously exhibiting the detachment required of a king, thus setting the shining example for all future leaders. But why did the innocent Sita have to suffer?

Purpose – the profound purpose and inner meaning behind this episode is to facilitate and intensify the exchange of spiritual emotions between the Lord and His consort. Love is intensified in separation. We find this in the pastimes of Krishna, in the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya and here in the pastimes of Lord Rama. What externally looks like a hard-hearted act, is actually a trigger for invoking a deep, sweet internal yearning. The entire incident also highlights the incredible love of Sita, which was unfailing in all circumstances. Despite being rejected by her beloved, her faithfulness remained as strong as ever – love tested is love triumphant.