[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Reference works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference) › [Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975) › c4.137 # Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.137 Purāṇic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Purāṇic Literature c4.137 - **Language:** English ### [c4.137](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.137) 5) The story of how Agni gave a Māyā Sītā (Phantom Sītā) to Śrī Rāma. During their exile in the forests Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were for some time living in an āśrama built on the shores of the ocean. One day Agni disguised as a Brāhmin approached them and said "O, Śrī Rāma, thou art born to kill the demon Rāvaṇa and save the world from his atrocities. Sītā is going to be a cause for that. Time is not far for you to finish this duty of yours. Rāvaṇa is soon to come and kidnap your wife, Sītā. You must, therefore, allow me to play a trick on Rāvaṇa. Entrust Sītā with me and I shall keep her safe. In her place here you can keep a Māyā Sītā (Phantom Sītā) which will be a live replica of your real wife. In the end when you take back Sītā after killing Rāvaṇa you will be compelled to throw your wife into the fire to test her chastity. At that time I will take back the replica and give you back your real wife”. Śrī Rāma was very much pleased to hear this. Agni then, by his yogic powers created a Phantom Sītā and gave her to him. Rāma kept this as a secret even from Lakṣmaṇa. In the great Rāma-Rāvaṇa battle Rāvaṇa was killed and Śrī Rāma took back Sītā to his kingdom. Then respecting public opinion and wishing to establish in public the purity of his queen King Śrī Rāma put her into the fire. At that moment Agni took back the replica and gave back the real Sītā to Śrī Rāma. Sītā thus came out from the fire unscathed. Later, on the advice of Rāma and Agni, the Phantom Sītā went to the sacred place Puṣkara and started doing tapas (penance) there. After doing tapas for a long period of three lakhs of divine years this Phantom Sītā became known as Svargalakṣmī. It was this Svargalakṣmī that later on in the Dvāpara yuga came out from the yajña kuṇḍa of King Pāñcāla and became the consort of the Pāṇḍavas. Vedavatī, daughter of Kuśadhvaja in Kṛtayuga, Sītā, daughter of Janaka in the Treta yuga, and Pāñcālī, daughter of Drupada in Dvāpara yuga are one and the same person. On account of this she is known as trihāyanī also. (Chapter 9 of Devī Bhāgavata). - [Previous: c4.136](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.136) - [Next: c4.138](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.138) - [Up: c4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4) ## Cites (1) - [Devībhāgavatapurāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.purana.upa.sakta.devibhagavata) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.137](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.reference.mani-1975.c4.137) · Pramāṇa