Sita and Draupadi are the two great heroines of Indian History. Both of them are role models for many women out there. Though we all are living in the 21st century, we have to know something about our history and Indian mythology. The life’s of Sita and Draupadi are quite similar, but they are the main reasons for two great battles of Indian mythology. Sita and Draupadi are different from each other just like the way Ramayan is from Mahabharat.
Even in this modern world, women serve Sita and Draupadi as their role models. A popular phrase says that ‘Most violent wars are fought for one reason – woman’. It is exactly true for Sita and Draupadi.
Though these two women have different life’s, it is the fact that the two great epic wars revolved around these two powerful women. Here are few comparisons between Sita and Draupadi.
Many of us know that Sita was born from the Earth and Draupadi was born from Fire. Both the births are supernatural and became princesses.
It is said that King Janaka found Sita when he was cultivating the land and he thought that the baby was given to him by the God and immediately decided to adopt her. Draupadi was created as an adult by King Drupada to destroy the Kuru household.
Sita was brought up with love, care, affection and attention. Whereas Draupadi was made to destroy a family. Thus, she was raised in hatred. The only similarity between Sita and Draupadi is their mothers. Both the mothers were less known and played little while upbringing Sita and Draupadi.
Both Sita and Draupadi are addressed with their father’s names. Sita as Janaka’s Janaki. Draupadi as Drupada’s Draupadi.
Both the ladies were married to two great Heroes. Rama broke a mighty bow and won the Swayamwar to married Sita. Arjuna shot the eye of fish which is rotating on a wheel hanging from the ceiling and married Draupadi.
According to few versions of Ramayan, it is said that Sita met Rama for the first time in a garden and love started between them at the first sight. There are no such stories behind her marriage, but some of them say that Draupadi liked Karna.
In Sita’s story, she was married to Rama and her sister, cousins were given to Rama’s brothers. In Draupadi’s life, it was totally different. She herself was shared by Arjuna’s four brothers who also have other wives.
Sita was kidnapped by King Ravana because her husband Rama insulted Ravana’s sister Surpanakha. And Draupadi became a victim to Duryodhan’s evil act of stripping her in public because she insulted him when he fell into a water pool.
Sita never screamed on taking revenge, but she displayed silent confidence that her husband Rama will surely rescue her. Draupadi screamed on taking revenge but had doubt if her five husbands will avenge her insult.
Rama rescued Sita and asked her to prove her virginity by undergoing a trial on fire to show his family honor. Whereas Draupadi never had come through a situation to prove her purity to anyone. The reason is she was already shared by five brothers and moreover she was named as a public woman rather than a princess.
Sita was left in the forest by her husband Rama as people felt that she was a stain on royal reputation to be queen. But she suffered this silently and spent many years in the forest. Draupadi took her revenge and finally washed her hair with the blood of Kauravas.
Among Rama and Sita, only Sita got the pleasure of raising her children and they do receive Rama’s kingdom. Draupadi did not get the pleasure of raising her children; they are sent to the house of Krishna while she lives in exile in the forest with her husband’s.
Sita disappears into the earth, refusing to join her husband on his throne, Rama weeps and says that he cannot live without his wife Sita. Thus, he goes inside the Sarayu river and never raised again. Draupadi died a lonely death when she slips and falls down from the Himalayas.
Despite their stories, Sita and Draupadi are worshipped as Goddesses. Sita is more familiar and we see in many temples. She is also called as Lakshmi. Whereas Draupadi is only worshipped in some parts of India especially in North Tamil Nadu. She is called as Amman.