Test by Fire

The woman is the keeper of

Loyalty and Love, Chastity,

In any patriarchal society.

This decree meant that

The queen must not only be above suspicion

But must be seen to be above suspicion

Even the queen of Ayodhya

Who'd gone

From palatial luxury and fanfare

To a life of exile stripped bare

Of comforts.

Living in the forest

Living off the forest

Sita's shakti, her life force,

Became extraordinarily strong

Abandoned babe, princess, wife,

Kidnapped, imprisoned,

Among the Rakshas throng

Through steadfast resolve

Fasting, prayer,

She radiated power.

After the war, royal protocol required

That Sita undergo a trial by fire.

This was a long time ago when

Gods walked the earth like men.

So Agni the fire God tended the flame

And Sita walked through the fire

To the kingdom's acclaim.

But, wait, there's more to the story than this

For Agni was scorched by an energy greater than his.

He rushed into the sea unable to bear the heat

That emanated from Sita's glowing feet.

At Rameshwaram's shore, even now, there's a bay

Called Agni Teerth, where Agni once went

To heal his burns, cool himself!