Urmila
Encyclopedia
In Hindu
epic Ramayana
, Urmila was the daughter of King Janaka
of Mithila
and the younger sister of Sita
. She was the wife of Lakshmana
, the younger brother of Lord Rama
. They had two sons, Angad and Dharmaketu.
When Lakshmana was leaving for Vanvas
she asked him to take her with him. But Lakshmana refused, with the reason that she had to take care of her in-laws. In many dramas of Ramayana it has been shown that she obeyed her husband's order by taking care of her in-laws. She was supposed to be very beautiful. Urmila means the person who has met(mila) the Heart(Ur). She remained a faithful wife for 14 years. It is said that Lakshmana asked her not to shed tears when he left to the forest. She sees her husband go by, she witnesses the death of her father-in-law and despite that she does not shed a tear.
Most poems describe the anguish felt by Ram and Sita, but not many extol the many virtues of Urmila.
From the story of Ramayana it is believed that Urmila's misery was even worse than Sita being away from her husband for 14 years. Though not much text is available about her role in Ramayana. She is also referred to as Urmila Devi.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
epic Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, Urmila was the daughter of King Janaka
Janaka
Janaka or Raja Janaka were the kings of Videha Kingdom. Their capital was Mithila, which is believed to be present day Janakpur, Nepal...
of Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
and the younger sister of Sita
Sita Devi
Sita is the wife of Rama, the seventh Avatar of Vishnu in the Hindu tradition. Sita is one of the principal characters in the Ramayana, a Hindu epic named after her husband Rama....
. She was the wife of Lakshmana
Lakshmana
Lakshmana was the brother and close companion of Rama, and himself a hero in the famous epic Ramayana...
, the younger brother of Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
. They had two sons, Angad and Dharmaketu.
When Lakshmana was leaving for Vanvas
Vanvas
Vanvas is a Sanskrit term meaning residence in a forest . While it can be undertaken voluntarily, it usually carries a connotation of forced exile as a punishment...
she asked him to take her with him. But Lakshmana refused, with the reason that she had to take care of her in-laws. In many dramas of Ramayana it has been shown that she obeyed her husband's order by taking care of her in-laws. She was supposed to be very beautiful. Urmila means the person who has met(mila) the Heart(Ur). She remained a faithful wife for 14 years. It is said that Lakshmana asked her not to shed tears when he left to the forest. She sees her husband go by, she witnesses the death of her father-in-law and despite that she does not shed a tear.
Most poems describe the anguish felt by Ram and Sita, but not many extol the many virtues of Urmila.
From the story of Ramayana it is believed that Urmila's misery was even worse than Sita being away from her husband for 14 years. Though not much text is available about her role in Ramayana. She is also referred to as Urmila Devi.