Sītā Bhūpraveśa (Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa)

Sītā Bhūpraveśa is Sītā’s return into the earth, as told in the Lava Kuśa Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa. Rāma asks Sītā to come before the whole assembly and give public witness of her purity. She takes a solemn oath and then prays to Bhūdevī, the devī of the earth. The earth opens, a golden throne rises, and Sītā goes down into the earth upon it.

Rāma’s request

Lava and Kuśa had been met and the father and sons had known each other. Rāma then sent Lakshmaṇa to Vālmīki’s āśrama with a message for Sītā. Rāma wished her to come before the great gathering of devas, ṛshis, kings and citizens, and once more give public witness of her purity. He wanted it to be known to all and seen by all, so that Sītā’s honour and the good name of the Raghu line would stand beyond any future doubt.

Lakshmaṇa went to the āśrama, bowed at Sītā’s feet and gave her the message gently. Sītā agreed at once. Lakshmaṇa brought her to the assembly.

The public oath

Sītā stood before the whole assembly: devas, munis, kings, citizens and Rāma himself. She joined her palms and spoke in a clear, firm voice to everyone present:

“O people, O munis, O devas, I declare with tri-karaṇa-śuddhi (purity of thought, word and deed): Śrī Rāma alone is my husband. Even in my dreams I have never thought of any other man, never spoken of any other man, never acted for any other man. This is my oath.”

The prayer to Bhūdevī

When her oath was done, Sītā turned inward. She bowed her head and spoke in a soft voice, full of sacred weight, to Bhūdevī, the devī of the earth. Bhūdevī was her mother, from whose womb she had been born to Janaka at the sacred ploughing.

“Ammā Bhūdevī, receive me now. Take me back into yourself.”

The earth opens

In an instant there was a great splitting sound, “pheḷa pheḷa”, and the earth cracked open where Sītā stood. A golden throne rose up from the pātāla (the world below). It was set with jewels (maṇi-ratnāni) and rested on the hoods of serpents. It blazed with divine light.

Sītā folded her palms in reverence and sat on the golden throne, completely calm. While the whole assembly watched, the throne slowly went down into the earth and carried Sītā with it. The earth closed above her.

Rāma’s response

The assembly was overcome. People wept, in awe and in grief together. Rāma stood in silence with tears in his eyes. Then he spoke quietly:

“Sītā was paramā-sādhvī, the supremely chaste one. At every moment she lived and moved in line with my innermost being. She understood my purpose and moved with it. She has gone back to where she truly belongs.”

Rāma’s grief was real and deep. His words were also a declaration, before all the worlds, of Sītā’s divine nature and spotless character.

Sources

• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Lava Kuśa Kāṇḍa, Chapter 12 (Bhūdevī Sītanu Tīsukoni Pōvuṭa)