Was Goddess Sita The Daughter Of Ravana?

Yes, you have read the headline correct. All of us are used to the version of the story in which the evil Ravana abducts Goddess Sita from the forest as a revenge for his sister's insult. But what if there is a completely different version of the story?

Indian mythology is a world of fascinating mysteries. Of all the scriptures, Ramayana and Mahabharata are the two most important and interesting scriptures which have been a matter of study for many scholars. Apart from the original texts, the oral traditions and folklores makes these epics all the more fascinating and the revelations about the characters can leave people in an awe.

WHY DRAUPADI NEVER TIED HER HAIR?

The whole story of Ramayana revolves around the forceful abduction of Sita by Ravana and then how Lord Ram fights the demon king to get back His wife. However there is a twist in the tale. According to many folklores and ancient scriptures, Ravana is said to be the father of Goddess Sita. This news is surely a shock for many. But there are enough evidences that reveal that apart from the insult of Shoorpanakha, there are many other reasons why Ravana abducted Sita.

So, was Goddess Sita really the daughter of Ravana? Read on to find out.

Sita's Birth Mystery

It has been said that Goddess Sita was born out of the earth. King Janaka found Sita in the field while he was tilling the land. Hence, he adopted her as his daughter. In the North-western versions of Ramayana, Sita is said to be the divine child of Menaka who was adopted by King Janaka. Some scriptures even suggest that Sita was the real daughter of Janaka. But the most of the scriptures suggest that Sita was found buried in a furrow.

Story Of Vedavati

Some stories suggest that Sita was the reincarnation of Vedavati. Vedavati was a Brahmin woman who was molested by Ravana. When her purity was sullied by Ravana, she immolated herself on pyre and vowed to return in her next birth to become the cause of Ravana's death. Thus, she was reborn as Sita.

Ravana's Daughter

According to Uttara Purana, once Ravana had bad intentions for Manivati, princess of Alkapuri. She pledged to take revenge on Ravana. Later she was reborn as the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari. But the astrologers predicted that the child will bring ruin of the empire. So, Ravana ordered his servant to kill the child. However the servant did not kill the girl and instead buried her in Mithila where she was found by Janaka.

Ravana Abandons His Daughter

According to the Jaina version of Ramayana, Sita was born as the daughter of Ravana. However the astrologers predicted that the first child of Ravana would destroy his lineage. Therefore Ravana ordered his servants to take the child to some distant lands and bury her there. Thus, she was found and adopted by Janaka.

Ravana's Love For Sita

Ravana was in love with Sita but only as a father loves her daughter. This version appears in the Jain Ramayana. It is said that when Sita was born to Mandodari, Ravana was overjoyed. But when the prediction came that she would be the cause of his ruin, Ravana ordered his servants to send her away to some distant land. But he kept a check on Sita's whereabouts. He was overjoyed to find that Sita was adopted by a King and she was still a princess. He also attended Sita's swayamvara ceremony to see her get married. He was happy to see that Sita got married to the valiant Aryan prince Ram of Ayodhya. All was well until Ram was sent to exile for 14 years.

Sita's Abduction: Father's Love Or Vengeance?

When Ravana found out that Sita was also living in forests with Lord Ram during the exile, he decided to abduct his daughter and put an end to her misery. So, he abducted Sita and brought her to Lanka. People saw it as an act of vengeance against Ram and Lakshmana as they had cut of Ravana's sister's nose. But it was a father protecting his daughter from the misery. Even Ravana's wife Mandodari mistook his love for Sita as he kept repeating her name in his sleep.

Ravana's Destruction

Whether his daughter or not, Sita ultimately became the cause of Ravana's destruction. It is also said that Ravana did not submit to Lord Ram because of his protective fatherly love for Sita. He did not want her to go back to the forest. So, he put up the great fight in which he was eventually killed by Ram, thus the prophecies came true.