The First Meeting of Ram and Sita

By: Rajender Kapil

The story of the first meeting between Ram and Sita is described in the Bal Kand of Ramcharitmanas.

When King Janak decided on Sita’s Swayamvar, he sent invitations to all the great kings of the land, including even Ravan, the King of Lanka. Along with the kings, King Janak also sent invitations to prominent sages. One such invitation reached the hermitage of Sage Vishwamitra, where Ram and Lakshman were residing at that time. Upon receiving the invitation, Sage Vishwamitra took both princes to Mithila. There were still a few days left before the Swayamvar. So, with their guru’s permission, Ram and Lakshman decided to explore the city. As soon as they stepped onto the royal road, the people of Mithila were enchanted by their presence. Ram then led his younger brother towards the Yagya hall and began explaining its architecture:

Ram shows the architecture to his younger brother and speaks in a soft, sweet, and enchanting voice.
Everyone admires the beauty according to their own understanding, and both brothers move ahead with love.

The next morning, before their guru awoke, both brothers went to the royal garden to collect flowers for his worship. They asked the gardeners and happily began gathering flowers:

Looking around in all directions, they asked the gardeners and joyfully started collecting flower garlands.

While they were busy picking flowers, Sita arrived in the same garden with her friends. The garden housed a temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati, and Sita’s mother, Sunayana, had instructed her to pray there before her wedding, seeking the blessing of an ideal husband. Following this wish, Sita arrived at the temple:

At that very moment, Sita arrived, as her mother had sent her for Goddess Parvati’s worship.

Sita’s friends accompanied her, assisting her in the worship. One of her friends, however, wandered off in another direction to explore the garden. There, she caught sight of the two handsome princes:

One of Sita’s friends, wandering in the garden, happened to see the two princes.

She was so mesmerized by the beauty of Ram and Lakshman that she ran back to Sita to describe them:

Seeing the two brothers, overwhelmed with love, she rushed back to Sita.

She excitedly told Sita:

Two young princes have come to the garden, they are youthful and supremely charming.
How can I describe their beauty? Words fail where eyes can only see, and eyes have no voice to express.

She described that two divine princes had arrived in the garden. They were in the prime of their youth, their divine jata (matted locks) adding to their splendor. Their beauty was indescribable, as words could not capture what the eyes beheld. Tulsidas beautifully expresses this paradox: the eyes that witness beauty cannot speak, and the words that describe it lack the vision to see it. As Sita listened, her curiosity grew immensely.

Hearing this, all her wise friends rejoiced, understanding Sita’s deep eagerness.

As they continued talking, Sita and her friends started moving towards Ram and Lakshman. Sita was adorned with bangles on her hands, anklets on her feet, and a waist belt. As she walked, these ornaments created a mesmerizing melody. When Ram heard this sweet sound, he turned to Lakshman and said:

Hearing the sound of bangles, anklets, and waist belts, Ram, deep in thought, said to Lakshman:
It seems as if Kamdev himself is marching forward to conquer the world.

The next moment, Ram beheld Sita’s divine beauty. Tulsidas describes this enchanting scene:

Seeing Sita’s radiance, Ram felt immense joy, and his heart was filled with admiration, yet words failed him.
It seemed as if Lord Brahma had displayed all his artistic mastery by manifesting the supreme beauty of the world before him.

Sita’s beauty was truly captivating. Ram was so mesmerized that his eyes remained fixed on her, and his voice fell silent. For a moment, he was lost in this divine beauty. It seemed to him as if Lord Brahma had poured all his creative genius into sculpting this goddess-like figure. She was the epitome of divine grace, and her beauty filled Ram’s heart with an indescribable bliss. The poet Tulsidas was overwhelmed:

Sita’s beauty enhanced beauty itself, like a lamp illuminating a serene home.
All comparisons fell short before her; she surpassed every poetic description.

Sita’s presence was like a radiant lamp brightening up a peaceful abode. Her beauty transcended all metaphors and comparisons.

When Ram finally recovered from this divine trance, he turned to Lakshman and said, “Brother, this is King Janak’s daughter, Sita, for whom the Swayamvar is being arranged.” Then he introspected, realizing the profound affection he felt for her. His heart blossomed like a flower, filled with love for this supreme beauty. But he was puzzled—he had never felt this way before.

The nature of the Raghu dynasty is inherently righteous; their minds never wander onto unrighteous paths.
Yet today, my mind is deeply drawn toward her, though I have never even dreamt of another woman before.

The minds of the Raghu dynasty were naturally pure, never straying into thoughts of worldly desires. But today, something was different. Ram had never even dreamed of another woman, yet now he found himself lost in Sita’s beauty. What was happening? He could not comprehend. With these thoughts, Ram and Lakshman moved to another part of the garden.

On the other hand, when Sita realized the princes were no longer in sight, she grew anxious and started looking for them.

Sita looked around in all directions, astonished and worried about where the young princes had gone.

Finally, one of her friends spotted Ram and Lakshman behind a cluster of trees and pointed them out to Sita.

Through the gaps in the vines, the beautiful dark and fair-skinned princes were visible.

Seeing them again, Sita’s eyes were filled with longing. She felt as if she had found a priceless treasure.

Her eager eyes could not have enough of Ram’s form; she even forgot to blink.
Her heart overflowed with love, and her body felt heavy, as if a chakori bird was gazing at the moon in deep devotion.

Then, as if emerging from a canopy of trees, Ram and Lakshman stepped into the open:

From behind the vines, the two brothers appeared, as if two pure moons had emerged from behind the clouds.

Tulsidas marvels at this divine scene, depicting the beginning of the eternal bond between Ram and Sita.