What are the rites
and Rituals that were performed in the marriage of Sita
with Rama?
---Compilations
from four different Ramayanams
(Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam and
Hindi)
By
P.R.Ramachander
Many of you might
have attended the Sita Kalyanam performed by Bhajan groups. What is normally enacted is a
typical south Indian marriage between Sita
and Rama .But both Rama and
Sita were kshatriyas by birth
and there is a possibility that the marriage ceremony/rituals followed
would be very much different. Since I had already translated Valmiki Ramayanam , Kamba Ramayanam and Adhyathma Ramayanam
, I decided to read
The rama Charitha Manas of Thulasi
Das also and to compare the marriage
rituals. The period in which these Ramayanas were written according to historians is
1.Valmiki Ramayana
-4th centaury
BC/8th centuary BC
2.Adhyathma Ramayana-14th centuary AD
#.Kamba Ramayana-12th Centuary
AD
4.Ramacharitha Manas (Hindi) -15th centuary AD
It is but
natural that the period of writing
the epic would have
influenced the description of the marriage between Lord Rama and Sita.
1.Did
Rama See
Sita earlier to the marriage?
1.Valmiki Ramayana
- No.They never met each other
2.Adhyathma
Ramayana – Sita garlands
Rama as soon as the Shiva’s
bow is broken , i.e.before marriage
ceremony.
3.Kamba Ramayana –
When Rama entered Mithila among the people who saw Rama , Sita was also one.Rama saw
her and mutually fell in love
4.Ramacharith Manas –Sita witnesses the bow breaking by Rama
2.Who all came
from Ayodhya to the marriage?
1,Valmiki Ramayana –Only male members of family of Dasaratha , their Guru
and male soldiers came to Mithila for the marriage . They
are later joined by BHaratha’s
uncle (Kaikeyi’s brother) .
2.Adhyathma
Ramayana - Dasaratha comes along his queens and Vasishta along with Arundathi for the marriage at Mithila.
3.Kamba Ramayanam- Dasratha with all
his queens and with huge accompaniment
goes to Mithila but stay in
their quarters and sdo not attend the
marriage.
4.RAmacharitha
Manas- There is no mention of the queens of Dasaratha or Arundathi in the procession. Vasishta
and Dasaratha rode in the leading chariot. Later it is revealed that they did
not come to Mithila
3.What are the
rituals conducted in the marriage .
1.Valmiki
Ramayana ;
a.Prliminary rituals
for the groom and bride are
done separately
b. Earthen
vessels where seeds are put for germination are brought to
the hall.
C,Janaka gives Sita
in Kanya dhan (the presence of Janaka’s
wife is not indicated.)
d.Pani grahana and spatha
padhi take place.
e.The queens of Dasaratha
see their sons and brides only
after they return to Ayodha.
2,Kambha Ramayana.
a.Though the queens of Dasaratha have come to Mithila they do not attend the marriage ceremonies.
b.Janaka does
Kanya Dhan without the presence of his
wife.
c. Saptaha padhi
and going round the fire is done by the couples.
d.Laja Homa with Puffed rice is performed,
e.Ammi mithithal i.e the groom lifting the feet of the
bride and keeping on a rock takes place.
f.The couple see
Arundathi who was a guest of the
marriage.
g.After the
marriage the couple go to their mother’s place of residence in Mithila.
3.Adhyathma Ramayana.
a. The priests Vasishta and Sadananda to homa
b. The feet of Rama is washed by
Janaka and his wife , Janaka
sprinkles the water of washing on his and his wife’s head.
c,Kanya dhan takes place.
4.Ramacharitha
Manas
1.Preliminary rites are performed by sage Vasishta and
Sage Sadananda
2.Sita performs Gauri pooja
3.Janaka and his
queen sunayana wash the feet of Rama.
4.Kanyadhan and
Panigrahan
5.End of garments of bride and groom tied
6.They go round the fire and later sit together
These descriptions
of the marriage to a certain extent coincide
the practice in North India .Even
in case of Kamba Ramayanam where more of
modern day rituals are included , the
queens of Dasaratha do not attend the marriage as they stay in their quarters in Mithila.
2 comments:
Nice compilation. But why the Queens did not attend the marriage in Valmiki Ramayana?
I have heard that In Kshatriya community of North India, the Ladies do not attend the marriage.
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