Sita stands at the heart of the Ramayana as more than a supporting figure; she is the axis around which the epic’s central drama and its ethical reflections revolve. As Rama’s wife, she embodies *patni dharma* and the ideal of *pativrata*—the devoted, chaste, and steadfast spouse—choosing to share his 14-year exile in the forest rather than remain in royal comfort. Her presence transforms Rama’s exile from a solitary act of duty into a shared spiritual journey, and her unwavering loyalty becomes a touchstone for understanding dharma within intimate relationships. Through her conduct, the text presents an image of ideal womanhood grounded in devotion, moral clarity, and inner strength. Narratively, Sita’s abduction by Ravana is the decisive turning point that propels the epic into its great conflict. This single event draws Rama into alliance with the *vanaras*, leads to the search for Lanka, and culminates in the war that restores cosmic and social order. Yet Sita is not merely a passive object of rescue; her steadfast resistance to Ravana’s threats and temptations in captivity reveals a spiritual courage that outshines physical might. Her suffering and endurance become a mirror in which the dharma of others—Rama, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and even the people of Ayodhya—is tested and revealed. Sita’s role as a symbol of purity is crystallized in the *Agni Pariksha*, the ordeal by fire she undergoes after her rescue. Emerging unharmed, she is affirmed by Agni as untouched in body and intention, and this episode has long served as a focal point for reflection on chastity, social suspicion, and the burdens placed on women to prove their virtue. Later, when public doubt again casts a shadow over her character, Sita’s refusal to submit to further trials and her appeal to the Earth, her mother, mark a powerful assertion of dignity. Her final return to the earth underscores both her unassailable innocence and the tragic cost of societal expectations. Spiritually, Sita is understood as an incarnation of Lakshmi and thus the divine consort of Rama, who is Vishnu’s incarnation. In this capacity she represents Shakti, the feminine energy that complements and empowers Rama’s righteousness, and is associated with fertility, abundance, and the sustaining power of the Earth. Her name, meaning “furrow,” evokes agricultural prosperity and the nurturing aspect of nature itself. Through her divine identity, her human suffering acquires a universal resonance: she becomes an exemplar of innocent suffering, a figure of compassion,