Boy god avatar meets girl god avatar

Image: Rama and Sita Source: Metmuseum

Author’s Note: I wanted to write about the love story between Rama and Sita. I was immediately interested in their relationship when I read how Sita is also the avatar of a god–the concept of two god avatars finding each other and falling in love is a really novel one. Because of this, I thought it would be interesting to write about their courtship as if it were a romantic comedy. I write about their first meeting up to when Rama competes for her hand. I've watched quite a few romantic comedies throughout my life– I'm not the biggest fan of the genre, but I can see the merit in several romantic books and films. I've read Pride and Prejudice three times, and it has become one of my favorite books. I think the genre convention of enchanted but troubled love is a lot of fun to read– it turns out that it's a lot of fun to write too! Rama and Sita's romance really lends itself to several conventions of romantic comedy. Both youths are royalty– their virtue is unquestionable, and their talents are unparalleled by their peers. Despite this, there are several roadblocks to their burgeoning love. Ravana also makes a compelling rival for Rama. This story was a lot of fun to write, and I look forward to writing more Rama and Sita stories in the future!

When you happen to be a large blue god avatar, it can be difficult to find somebody. Rama was starting to realize this as he grew older. From the outside looking in, it might seem like Rama had it all. He was firstborn son to Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, and he was set to inherit a powerful kingdom and a stack of cash along with it. Rama wasn’t just the heir to a kingdom and a fortune– he was also the best at pretty much everything he tried to do. Rama could take down supernatural enemies in his sleep, and he had the celestial weapons to prove it. Rama was handsome, strong, and all the sages of the realm agreed that he was a fine young man.

Image: Rama as a young man Source: Awakening Wolf

You’d think all the ladies would be after this eligible bachelor, but things weren’t altogether simple when it came to Rama’s personal life. You see, Rama was a package deal. Sure, you would get a beautiful (albeit slightly blue) prince, but you would also get the all-powerful supreme being Vishnu, who happens to be inhabiting our guy Rama. Because of this, romance wasn’t all too easy for the young prince of Ayodhya.

All that was about to change though– Rama and his brother Lakshmana were bathing in a stranger’s palace garden (as you do) when the princess of the realm happened to be walking through with her handmaiden. Sita noticed the two youths bathing, and she described them as “the two most noble youths.” (Notice how Sita doesn’t clarify which one is the most noble– a girl has to keep her options open.)

Rama heard the bangles jingling on Sita’s feet, and it was love at first sound– the rest was history. If you had any doubt whether or not this was a match made in heaven, well, this couple was literally a match made in heaven. Sita happened to be the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi, Vishnu’s heavenly consort.

Not everything was simple, however. Rama had one big obstacle to overcome before he could be with Sita. And no, it was not introducing himself and having conversations with her– that’s way too pedestrian. Sita’s father, King Janaka, was a bit traditional, and he wanted to make sure that his daughter only ended up with the best possible man. What better way to figure this out than to ask Rama to bend the bow of the god of destruction? Rama goes a little overboard trying to impress Sita’s parents, and he broke the bow in half. I mean, the guy was a perfectionist.