The Ramayana

by

R. K. Narayan

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Ramayana makes teaching easy.

Sita Character Analysis

Sita is Rama's wife and the incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu's wife—Sita was literally made for Rama. In the human world, King Janaka found the infant Sita in a plowed field and raised her as his own. To protect her from unsuitable callers, Janaka set the test that any man who wished to marry Sita must be able to string Shiva's bow, which is an impossible task for a simple mortal man. Sita represents the ideal wife and woman: she's exceptionally loyal to her husband and follows him into exile; she's beautiful even when she's dressed in tree bark and under duress; and she passes every test of her faithfulness to Rama. Despite her positive qualities, however, Sita at times is vain, petulant, and disobedient. Her disobedience leads to her kidnapping by Ravana.

Sita Quotes in The Ramayana

The The Ramayana quotes below are all either spoken by Sita or refer to Sita. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Heroism Theme Icon
).
2. The Wedding Quotes

The sun set beyond the sea, so says the poet—and when a poet mentions a sea, we have to accept it. No harm in letting a poet describe his vision, no need to question his geography.

Related Characters: Rama, Sita, Kamban / The Poet
Page Number: 23
Explanation and Analysis:

As time passed Janaka became anxious whether he would ever see his daughter married and settled—since the condition once made could not be withdrawn. No one on earth seemed worthy of approaching Shiva's bow. Janaka sighed. "I tremble when I think of Sita's future, and question my own judgment in linking her fate with this mighty, divine heirloom in our house."

Related Characters: King Janaka (speaker), Rama, Sita, Shiva, Viswamithra
Related Symbols: Bows and Arrows
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
5. The Grand Tormentor Quotes

"You are the overlord of seven worlds, mightier than the mightiest. Why do you feel sad and unhappy? Go and get her; that is all. Take her. She is yours. Is there anything beyond your reach? Stir yourself. Leave this desolate mood. Go forth, snatch her, because she is yours, created for you and waiting for you."

Related Characters: Soorpanaka (speaker), Sita, Ravana
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
9. Ravana in Council Quotes

"You have done incompatible things. You have desired to appropriate another man's wife, which is against all codes of conduct, and now you are thinking of your prestige, reputation, fame, might, and eminence."

Related Characters: Kumbakarna (speaker), Rama, Sita, Ravana
Page Number: 125
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Ramayana LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Ramayana PDF

Sita Quotes in The Ramayana

The The Ramayana quotes below are all either spoken by Sita or refer to Sita. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Heroism Theme Icon
).
2. The Wedding Quotes

The sun set beyond the sea, so says the poet—and when a poet mentions a sea, we have to accept it. No harm in letting a poet describe his vision, no need to question his geography.

Related Characters: Rama, Sita, Kamban / The Poet
Page Number: 23
Explanation and Analysis:

As time passed Janaka became anxious whether he would ever see his daughter married and settled—since the condition once made could not be withdrawn. No one on earth seemed worthy of approaching Shiva's bow. Janaka sighed. "I tremble when I think of Sita's future, and question my own judgment in linking her fate with this mighty, divine heirloom in our house."

Related Characters: King Janaka (speaker), Rama, Sita, Shiva, Viswamithra
Related Symbols: Bows and Arrows
Page Number: 26
Explanation and Analysis:
5. The Grand Tormentor Quotes

"You are the overlord of seven worlds, mightier than the mightiest. Why do you feel sad and unhappy? Go and get her; that is all. Take her. She is yours. Is there anything beyond your reach? Stir yourself. Leave this desolate mood. Go forth, snatch her, because she is yours, created for you and waiting for you."

Related Characters: Soorpanaka (speaker), Sita, Ravana
Page Number: 78
Explanation and Analysis:
9. Ravana in Council Quotes

"You have done incompatible things. You have desired to appropriate another man's wife, which is against all codes of conduct, and now you are thinking of your prestige, reputation, fame, might, and eminence."

Related Characters: Kumbakarna (speaker), Rama, Sita, Ravana
Page Number: 125
Explanation and Analysis: