One Daughter

It was life itself into her did breathe, the breath of the earth filled a mother to be. Out of the mud and the dirt, she came into the world as a daughter first. So first, they beheld her, with tear-brimmed eyes, for they had been blessed with their first-born girl. She was a child from the goddess herself. As she grew up under her parents' house of abundance and happiness, she was known as one of the land's greatest beauties. And little did they know, her beauty was matched by a great strength and devotion that lived inside.

One day, while playing, she moved Shiva's bow without a second thought. It was then her parents knew that she was more than just their little girl. They feared, however, that she would not find a suitor. For what man wanted a woman who might have the heart of warrior? It would be a difficult task to find someone worthy of her hand. As princess of her father's great kingdom, she also had a duty to its people, and that included finding someone who suited the kingdom too. But little did they know, her duty was also to another divine destiny.

Finally, when it was time: to her Swayamvara, the god incarnate found his way. Together they broke Shiva's bow, although not all will tell it that way. A marriage took place and their vows were said, but their love had been cemented long before any ceremony. Long before they had even first laid eyes on each other, their souls had reached out across the cosmos to be together. Yet little did she know, although a god's strength and virtue lived within her husband, he was still encased in his mortality. But for the time being, her heart was so full and content.

Through her husband's exile and trials by the gods, she stayed by his side. Though it was her strength underlying the long cold nights, it was love and deep loyalty that kept her warm. With his brother, her husband battled demons and monsters, an onslaught of the world's greatest evil. Yet, she would face the greatest test. After being captured by the king of all evil, she spent a year as his prisoner.

"Be mine, and you will live the greatest life," he said, his voice meant to be like silk. Her resolve never faltered, for her devotion to her husband, and to who she was, was far too strong. And life as a prisoner was not even her worst trial, but the dark doubt of a husband who worried she'd been defiled. As if her unbreakable loyalty had not been evident.

By entering the fire and being delivered by its deva, she proved the purity of her heart. For what mere mortal could survive Agni's flame? But embers were not enough to clear her name. And even if her husband believed her, whispers spread across the kingdom that she was not fit to be queen. So with the strength of a daughter, and now the devotion of a queen, she went into exile of her own accord. And she embraced that exile, even as her womb stirred with new life. And she embraced that exile with the bittersweet feeling of new love and strife.

It was only fitting that her children be born among nature, for nature was their grandmother, after all. Giving birth to twins under the forest's sheltering trees, she had twice as much love for them, and four times as much devotion. As a single mother, she would not only raise them with her virtues of goodness, loyalty and inner strength, but she would teach them to become warriors like their father. For it was the combined strength of him and her that had broken Shiva's bow.

Yes, the day would come when their true parentage would be revealed; she could not conceal that they had been born from two intertwined, divine destinies. And so on that day, they returned to her husband's kingdom. His surprise at his beautiful children was only rivaled by the shock at the beauty of motherhood in his wife. Now, this kind of beauty was far beyond the skin, for this kind of beauty lived deep within.

Even in the happy reunion, she knew she could never return to being his queen or his wife. The people would never accept her again, and the kingdom needed the king and his heirs. So she made her last, profound sacrifice as only a mother could. She turned to leave. Suddenly, she stopped as the earth began to quake, and it cracked beneath her feet. As the twins cried for their mother and her husband for his wife, the ground opened up with the sigh of love. All were quiet as the Mother Goddess spoke:

"Come, my daughter. Come home to me."

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"Out of the divine furrows, came a wife, a queen,

Strength, love, loyalty; all virtues to be seen.

She would forever be their mother but a daughter first,

And so as the goddess' daughter, she returned to Mother Earth."

References: R. K. Narayan. The Ramayana [Print].

"Sita". Wikipedia

Saraswati Nagpal, Sita: Daughter of the Earth [Graphic Novel; Print].

"Nine Ideal Women". Sunity Devee, Maharanee. [Online Archive]

Banner Image Information: "Mother and Her Daughter". Flickr

Image Information: "Mother and daughter holding hands". Personal Drawing