Rama doubts Sita? Part 2...

Rama & Sita. Image Courtesy:
https://1080wallpapers.wordpress.com/

In a previous post several years ago, I penned some thoughts around Rama 'abandoning' Sita. I've since learned some new perspectives after hearing scholars, and wanted to shared them.

Let's start with the context in brief: Princess Sita was abducted by Ravana, one of the most good looking kings ever and well-known womanizer, and held for a while in Lanka. Valmiki tells us that he kept appealing to her to forget Rama and to become his, which she kept spurning. Why does he need consent? Because he was cursed by the daughter of a rishi he forced himself on that he would die the next time he did it to any other girl. Sita is ultimately located, Ravana is slain, and Sita undergoes agni pariksha in Lanka before leaving for Ayodhya with Rama.

Now, the commonly told story appears to be that Rama (when surveying his kingdom incognito) overheard a fisherman tell his wife that Sita being trusted by Rama was odd, etc., and that Rama acted on this comment alone to banish his wife. Valmiki does clearly state that it was not one comment alone, but that his entire kingdom was gossiping about and doubted Sita.

As a loving husband, would it have been enough to simply ignore his subjects' comments and repose his personal trust in her? Perhaps, but that would not have improved her image any. The dent on her character would have remained. Self-certification was not going to be enough, even though Rama was held in the highest regard by his subjects. Although the agni-pariksha must have been reported in Ayodhya, it may have been considered just that -- a report; of an event from far away that may or may not be true, given that there was still widespread doubt in Ayodhya.
So, what choice did Rama have of restoring Sita's image? Someone impartial (not associated with Rama) and of impeccable stature must certify voluntarily. That person was rishi Valmiki who took Sita (left near his ashram by Shatrughna so she could be found) into his care, and who would go on to write the story of Rama and make famous his Ramayana. (Or had he already begun composing it by this time? How did Rama know about Valmiki? These are valid questions, and I'm unsure.)

Having Sita regain the true image of her spotless character must clearly have been more important to Rama than everything else.

Unlike a modern-day writer of a story who might rely on interviews and investigations, our puranas tell us that in antiquity some Rishis (seers) simply knew or had revelations. Our tradition accepts such relevations as valid knowledge. Also, there are many legends (some unsubstantiated) surrounding how Valmiki composed the Ramayana, his own background of a thief, seeing a bird die and instantly composing a verse in agony, etc. Let's not get into these for the moment...