Seeta Jayanti

Mother Seeta or Jaanki is the Mother of the Universe. She is the symbol of womanhood. She is incarnate to end the tyranny of the evil King Raavan. By playing her role as the consort of Sri Raam, this mission was successfully accomplished.

She earned her name Seeta because of the way she made her appearance. As King Janak ploughs the Yajna site to establish the pavilion, the jar containing a female child was unearthed. The child was adopted by King Janak and named Seeta, meaning a furrow because the jar was found in the furrow made by the plough.

The Raamaayan tells her story. Wedded to Sri Raam she accompanies him in exile so that the mission of reestablishing Dharma can be accomplished.

Seeta , the very epitome of Hindu womanhood, symbolizes the ideal daughter, wife, daughter in law, sister in law, mother and woman . Every Hindu woman aspires to be like her.

Every Hindu marriage up to this day is a re-enactment of her wedding to Sri Raam. Mantras chanted in the ceremony are the same chanted up to this day. The folk songs at the Hindu weddings, describe Raam and Seeta’s wedding ceremony. This is the legacy left for the present day Hindu.

In captivity, her faith and devotion kept up her hope of being rescued by Sri Raam. This is the faith Hindus practice up to this time. Their story is enduring and endearing.

Her activities described in the Raamaayan teaches many profound stories and when these stories are held against the lens of Vedanta we discern that – Detachment and Faith are the necessary keys for the attainment of Moksha – liberation (Hinduism’s Life Goal). One must learn to give up sense objects to gain proximity to the Divine and ultimately lose ones-self in Devotion to the Divine.

Mother Seeta is the very embodiment of detachment and purity. May the Divine Universal Mother Bless us with prosperity and those inner qualities which enable us to become more understanding, appreciative, charitable and aware of this Life we live.

In whatever ways we celebrate Seeta Jayanti, may it bring us joy and fulfillment.

Jaya Sri Raam.

By The Hindu Professional Society of Canada (HPSC)