Vivaha Panchami : If there is love, let it be like that of Ram and Sita.
Today is Margashirsha Shukla Panchami, the day we celebrate as Vivaha Panchami. On this sacred date, in the city of Mithila during the Treta Yuga, the divine wedding of Lord Shri Rama and Mother Sita was solemnized. It was not merely a royal ceremony; it was the union of two souls, the foundation of dharma, the highest form of love, and an unparalleled example of sacrifice.
Vivaha Panchami reminds us of that ideal where courage stands with purity, love stands with duty, and dharma stands with compassion. The love of Rama and Sita was never driven by desire. It was the communion of soul with soul. Their marriage was not just the union of two individuals, but of two ideals, two lineages, and two sacred vows. Rama’s dharma is compassion for all, and Sita’s dharma is unwavering fidelity to truth. From their union emerged a marriage that remains an ideal for the entire world.
History was inscribed in Janakpur’s Rangshala when Shri Rama effortlessly lifted the bow of Shiva, strung it, and the moment he drew the string, the bow split into two parts. The thunderous sound astonished the gathered people, but in Sita’s heart another sound echoed - the first chime of divine love. This was not just the breaking of a bow; it was the reunion of two souls destined for each other across lifetimes, for Sita and Rama are two manifestations of the same Supreme Reality.
Shri Rama and Sita never boasted of their love, nor made grand declarations. Their love was real - without display. There was trust, but no attachment. There was a bond, but no selfishness. Their union teaches us that love is sanctified not by exhibition, but by commitment. Their love does not speak - it endures.
In Shri Rama shone both the radiance of valor and the sweetness of tenderness. One could tell upon seeing him that he was not merely beautiful, but the very embodiment of truth, dharma, and virtue. All the qualities that Sita had envisioned in her future husband - righteousness, courage, humility, brilliance - appeared before her together in Rama.
This moment was not born of physical attraction. The soul recognized its eternal companion. This recognition came not by logic or thought but through the deepest experience of the heart. That is why Tulsidas writes that Sita’s heart surrendered to Rama in the very first moment. In Rama, Sita found the complete man every ideal woman imagines, and thus in a single glance, her heart offered itself to him.
Sita was not the only one captivated by Shri Rama. The Ramayana describes how the women of the city gazed at him from terraces and windows. Even men were moved by his courage and grace. The sages were overwhelmed by his humility and service-oriented nature.
Shri Rama is a man who possesses strength yet never displays arrogance. He had the power to lift the mighty bow of Shiva, yet remained humble even after victory. His love was not one of domination - it was a love that offered dignity, space, and protection to the woman he loved.
Today, when the world views love as attraction, possession, or the desire to simply be together, Shri Rama shows us a love that holds duty, compassion, masculinity, and deep emotion - together, in perfect harmony.
When they were departing for the forest and Sita insisted on accompanying him, Shri Rama asked, “Will you be able to endure the hardships of the forest?” This question was not born of authority; it was born of concern, protection, and responsibility. His love was not ownership - it was guardianship.
The greatest quality of Shri Rama’s masculinity is the restraint of his power. He was a man who could conquer the world with ease, yet would never frighten the one he loved. He protected Sita not through fear, but through trust.
Everyone saw his valor at the bow-ceremony, but the tenderness, affection, and respect he showed towards Sita reflected the true essence of his manhood. A true man is one whose strength becomes the protection of the beloved, never her suffering.
Exile, kingdom, society, public sentiment - all forced him to take many difficult decisions. Yet he never abandoned one principle: Sita’s dignity and honor. When Ravana abducted Sita, it was not merely the sorrow of a husband; it was an attack on the honor of womanhood itself. And before this insult, Rama’s love took the form of battle. His intent was not revenge - it was justice.
After Sita’s abduction, the Rama we see is no less than a heartbroken lover. His emotions were like the ocean - calm on the surface, but unfathomable within. In separation, he remembered Sita with such intensity that even today it moves the heart. While Sita wept in Ashoka Vatika, Rama wandered the forests asking every tree, “Have you seen my Sita?” He wept beside the dying Jatayu. He held Sita’s ornaments to his chest and sobbed.
When Ravana took Sita away, Rama’s heart shattered. His anger rose - not from vengeance, but from the guilt of failing to protect her. When he said to the ocean, “If you do not give me a path, I will dry you up this very moment, and my entire army shall march across,” this was not a mighty king speaking - this was a husband whose love was as vast, deep, and fierce as the sea itself.
Rama’s love walked beside Sita like a shadow of protection. Ravana could not harm her in the slightest. A wife whose husband’s righteousness and devotion are as firm as Rama’s can never be touched by evil. Rama gave Sita not only physical safety, but emotional, social, and spiritual protection. This is the character of an ideal man.
Rama’s love stands on the foundation of respect. He never calls Sita “my possession” or “my woman.” He always addresses her with honor - Dharmpatni, Sahadharmini, Janaknandini. The words change, but the essence remains the same - respect.
The love of Rama and Sita is not merely a tale of emotion. It is a school of ideal living. They teach us that love must carry restraint, conduct must carry respect, duty must carry fidelity, and the protection of womanhood must carry both gentleness and strength. Then love becomes divine, marriage becomes sacred, and life becomes fulfilled.
Sita is not merely Rama’s wife; she is the direction of his dharma, the truth of his life, and the most sacred extension of his soul. Sita is a woman who embodies both modesty and iron-like determination. She did not merely seek Rama’s companionship; she stood beside him as his equal partner in dharma.
Everyone loves in moments of comfort, but Rama and Sita show us that love reveals its true character in adversity. Exile, war, trial by fire, public opinion, separation - none weakened their love; each only elevated its dignity.
On this sacred day, let us remember that love is not just attraction - it is restraint, sacrifice, patience, and devotion. Rama and Sita showed us that when love is rooted in trust, relationships in respect, life in dharma, and speech in dignity, then marriage becomes not just a ritual, but a spiritual practice that sanctifies life itself.
Vivaha Panchami reminds us that the purer the love, the brighter the life. The marriage of Rama and Sita teaches us that love is a form of the divine, and dignity is its guardian. Wherever you are, in whatever state you may be, may the remembrance of this divine union fill your heart with peace, inspiration, and purity.
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