Sita emerges in the Ramayana as the archetype of the devoted wife through a constellation of qualities that are consistently revealed in her life’s trials. Her decision to accompany Rama into the forest, even when comfort and security in Ayodhya were available to her, is presented as a conscious embrace of *dharma*: a wife’s place, she declares, is with her husband in both joy and adversity. In the forest she shares a life of simplicity and hardship without complaint, offering companionship, emotional support, and practical service, and thus embodying the ideal of *pativrata*—single-minded loyalty to her husband. Her conduct is marked by modesty, humility, and respect toward elders and sages, reinforcing the classical image of feminine virtue grounded in restraint and reverence.

Her portrayal as an ideal wife is further deepened through the emphasis on chastity and inner purity. During her captivity in Lanka, Sita steadfastly resists Ravana’s advances, maintaining not only physical fidelity but also unwavering mental and emotional allegiance to Rama. The narrative underscores this purity through the *agni pariksha*, where her emergence unharmed from the fire is presented as a visible sign of her spotless character. Even when confronted with public suspicion and the pain of being tested, she places Rama’s honor and the demands of kingship above her own comfort, accepting immense personal suffering to uphold his reputation and the broader order of *dharma*.

At the same time, Sita’s strength is not merely passive endurance but a form of moral and emotional resilience. She endures exile, abduction, public scrutiny, and even separation from Rama without descending into bitterness or vindictiveness. Her patience and dignity in the face of Rama’s difficult decisions, including the public testing of her purity, present an image of a wife who remains rooted in righteousness even when deeply wounded. As mother to Lava and Kusha, she raises her sons with proper values and knowledge of their lineage while in exile, extending her role as an ideal wife into that of a nurturing and principled mother. Through devotion, chastity, self-sacrifice, and steadfast adherence to *dharma*, Sita is thus portrayed as a moral and spiritual exemplar whose life offers a powerful model of wifely virtue within the epic tradition.