Sītā Svayaṃvara and Rāma Vivāha

The marriage of Rāma and Sītā took place at the court of King Janaka in Mithilā. It is the main event in the later part of the Bāla Kāṇḍa. Here Bhagavān Vishṇu in the form of Rāma and his śakti (power), Lakshmī, in the form of Sītā, were joined in the world. The occasion was both a svayaṃvara (a bride’s choice, here by a test) and a vivāha (wedding) of great holiness. Three other royal weddings were held with it, and they joined the houses of Ayodhyā and Mithilā.

The bow of Bhagavān Śiva

The bow of Bhagavān Śiva was a divine weapon of cosmic power. Bhagavān Śiva had given it to an ancestor of the Vaideha line, and Janaka kept it as a sacred object. It was so huge, so heavy, and so full of divine energy that no man could lift it, and most beings above men could not either, let alone string it. When Janaka looked for a husband worthy of his daughter Sītā, he made this bow the test. Whoever could string it would win Sītā’s hand.

Janaka told Rāma how Sītā was born. She did not come from a woman’s womb but from the earth. While Janaka was ploughing the ritual field for a yajña (fire ritual) to bring rain, a girl lay in a furrow, bright beyond words. Janaka named her Sītā, she of the furrow, and raised her as his daughter. She was Bhūmi-putrikā, the daughter of Bhūmi Devī (the Earth). From her birth she was far above others in beauty, character, and depth of spirit.

Many great kings and warriors had come before Rāma to win Sītā by trying the bow, and none had been able even to lift it. Some strained so hard that they fell unconscious. Others left in shame. Janaka had almost lost hope of finding a worthy husband for Sītā. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 66.

Rāma strings the bow

Viśvāmitra brought Rāma and Lakshmaṇa to Mithilā, and Janaka received them with great honour. The bow was brought out before the assembly. Rāma walked forward and lifted the bow of Bhagavān Śiva with what seemed no effort. The act itself showed divine power and left the assembly breathless. He strung the bow in one motion and drew the string so strongly that the bow broke in two. The sound of the breaking was like a thunderclap. It was heard across the city and the land around it. Janaka’s heart overflowed with joy, for the man worthy of Sītā had been found. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 67.

Messengers to Ayodhyā

Janaka at once sent messengers to Ayodhyā to give the news to Daśaratha and invite him to Mithilā for the wedding. The messengers travelled through the night, and Daśaratha heard the news with great joy. He came to Mithilā with a large company. With him came the purohitas (family priests) Vasishṭha, Vāmadeva, and others, the ministers, and the four-part army. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 68 and 69.

The Ikshvāku and Vaideha lines

Before the wedding rites, the family lines of both houses were recited. This is an essential part of the Vedic vivāha.

Vasishṭha recited the whole Ikshvāku line of Ayodhyā. It ran from Brahmā through Marīchi, Kaśyapa, Sūrya (Vivasvān), Manu, and Ikshvāku, and then down the long line of Solar kings to Daśaratha and Rāma.

Janaka then recited the Vaideha line, also called the line of Nimi. It began with Nimi, the first Janaka and a son of Ikshvāku. It went on through Mithi, the founder of Mithilā, and the later kings down to the present Janaka and his brother Kuśadhvaja. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 70 and 71.

The four weddings

Janaka and Daśaratha decided together that all four princes would be married at the same time, and that Janaka’s daughters and nieces were the right brides.

• Rāma married Sītā, Janaka’s daughter.
• Lakshmaṇa married Ūrmilā, Janaka’s second daughter.
• Bharata married Māṇḍavī, the daughter of Janaka’s brother Kuśadhvaja.
• Śatrughna married Śrutakīrti, Kuśadhvaja’s second daughter.

The four weddings were held together with full Vedic rites, led by Vasishṭha. Everyone there took part in the great festival of joy. They were the ṛshis, the kings, and the citizens of Mithilā. The devas showered flowers, and the gandharvas sang. The joining of the houses of Ayodhyā and Mithilā was complete. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 73.

Paraśurāma’s challenge

On the way back from Mithilā to Ayodhyā, Paraśurāma met the company. He is the axe-bearing avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, and he was still blazing with the energy of his campaign against the kshatriyas. He carried the Vaishṇava Dhanus, the bow of Bhagavān Vishṇu, and challenged Rāma with fierce pride.

Rāma calmly took up the challenge. He took the Vaishṇava bow and drew it fully. This showed that the power of the new avatāra was greater even than that of the earlier avatāra (bhūta-avatāra). Paraśurāma saw the divine truth before him. He gave up his pride and left in peace. This meeting showed everyone that Rāma was Bhagavān Vishṇu himself in human form. This is told in the Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 74 and 75.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 66 to 75