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Urmila

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Urmila
Wedding ceremony of Urmila and Lakshmana
Devanagariऊर्मिला
AffiliationAvatar of Nagalakshmi
AbodeAyodhya, Vaikuntha, Kshira Sagara
TextsRamayana and its other versions
GenderFemale
Genealogy
Born
Mithila, Videha
Died
Ayodhya
Parents
SiblingsSita (adoptive sister)
Mandavi (cousin)
Shrutakirti (cousin)
SpouseLakshmana
ChildrenAngada
Chandraketu
DynastyVideha (by birth)
Raghuvamsha-Suryavamsha (by marriage)
Part of a series on
Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
Supreme deity
Vishnu / Krishna / Rama
Important deities
Dashavatara
Other forms
Consorts
Related
Holy scriptures
Puranas
Sampradayas
Others
Teachers—acharyas
Related traditions

Urmila (Sanskrit: ऊर्मिला, romanized: Urmilā, lit. 'enchantress'), is a Hindu goddess and the princess of Videha in the Hindu epic Ramayana. She is considered to be an avatāra of Nagalakshmi, the serpent goddess. Urmila was married to Lakshmana and is known for her dedication towards her husband, for her sacrifice.[1][2]

Urmila was born as the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Queen Sunayana. Sita, the female protagonist of the epic, is her elder sister. She was married to Lakshmana, after her sister's svayamvara. According to a legend, Urmila slept continuously for fourteen years, so that her husband could protect Rama and Sita during the exile. She is notable for this unparalleled sacrifice, which is called Urmila Nidra. Urmila is worshipped is Hinduism, at various places in India, alongside her husband.[3]

Etymology

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The name Urmila is of Sanskrit origin, and could be divided into Ur meaning waves, and mila, meaning to join. Thus, her name means 'waves of passion that unite a couple'. Her name also means 'humble' or 'enchantress'.[4]

Legend

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Birth and early life

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Urmila was born as the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Queen Sunayana.[5] Urmila is considered as the incarnation of Nagalakshmi, Shesha's consort. In the Garga Samhita, Nagalakshmi is considered to be the personification of the divine ocean called the Kshira Sagara and is called as Kshira.[6][7]

Urmila was born on Jaya ekadashi, after her elder sister Sita, was adopted by her parents.[8] Mandavi and Shrutakirti are her cousins, who were born to her father's younger brother, Kushadhvaja and his wife Chandrabhaga.[9] According to legends, she was a scholar and an artist .[10]

Marriage to Lakshmana

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The marriage ceremony of Urmila and Lakshmana, along with the other three brothers and sisters. Folio from the Shnagri Ramayana, early 18th-century. National Museum, New Delhi

After Rama won the svayamvara of Sita, their marriage was fixed. King Dasharatha arrived in Mithila for his son's wedding and noticed that Lakshmana had feelings for Urmila , but according to tradition, Bharata and Mandavi were to marry first.[11][12] King Dasharatha then arranged for Bharata to marry Mandavi and Shatrughna to marry Shrutakirti, allowing Lakshmana to marry Urmila. Ultimately, all four sisters married the four brothers, strengthening the alliance between the two kingdoms.[13] The wedding ceremony was conducted under the guidance of Shatananda. During the homeward journey to Ayodhya, another avatar of Vishnu, Parashurama, challenged Rama to combat, on the condition that he was able to string the bow of Vishnu, Sharanga. When Rama obliged him with success, Parashurama acknowledged the former to be a form of Vishnu and departed to perform penance at the mountain Mahendra.[14][15] The wedding entourage then reached Ayodhya, entering the city amid great fanfare.[16]

According to Vishwamitra, Urmila and Lakshmana equals each other in "grace and heritage".[17] Urmila and Lakshmana had two sons named Angada and Chandraketu. Urmila is described as being as dedicated to Sita as Lakshmana was to Rama.[18]

Exile and Urmila Nidra

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Some time after the wedding, Kaikeyi compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king, prompted by the coaxing of her maid Manthara, and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile. Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced the comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile. Urmila was ready to accompany her husband, but he asked her to stay back in Ayodhya, so that she could take care of his aging parents and he could serve his brother and his wife.[19]

According to a legend, Urmila decided to sleep continuously for fourteen years, so that her husband could protect his brother and sister-in-law.[20] On the first night of exile, when Rama and Sita were sleeping, the deity Nidra appeared before Lakshmana and he requested her to offer him the boon of not sleeping for the fourteen years.[21] The goddess asked him that she could grant his wish, but someone else would have to take his place asleep. Lakshmana asked the goddess to enquire his wife Urmila regarding this, who happily accepted the task. Urmila slept continuously for the fourteen years of exile, to complete the sleep of her and her husband's share. Urmila is notable for this unparalleled sacrifice, which is called Urmila Nidra.[22][23]

Nidra told Lakshman that he would have to go to sleep as soon as the exile ends, so that Urmila could awake. After the exile, Lakshaman went to sleep and Urmila saw the coronation of Rama.

My brother, I have waited for this grand moment for years and just when I was about to witness my Lord Ram being crowned king, the goddess of sleep, Nidra, reminds me of our agreement and demands that I submit to her this very moment and go to sleep and let Urmila awaken.

— The Princess Who Slept For 14 Years (2018)[24]

Post exile and later life

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Urmila had been sleeping all those years of the exile, as per the boon by Goddess Nidra. When Lakshmana returned from the exile, he woke her up. Urmila opened her eyes and wept with joy when she saw him. Rama was then crowned the King of Kosala.[25] According to the Uttara Kanda, Lakshmana had ruled over Karupada, with Urmila as the queen, who advised him on important state matters.[26]

Urmila and Lakshmana's elder son Angada, inherited the Kingdom of Karupada, from his father and their younger son Chandraketu, inherited the kingdom of Mallya, being commissioned by Rama.[27][28]

Death

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According to a legend in Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, after Sita and Lakshmana's death, Rama, Bharata and Shatrughan's samadhi, Mandvi and Shrutakirti, became Sati and died after their husband's samadhi.[29] As per the promise given to her sister Sita, Urmila stayed in Ayodhya to look after her son's Angada and Chandraketu, and Sita's sons Lava and Kusha. After few years, Urmila took samadhi in the Sarayu river.[30]

In other versions

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Jain version

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Main article: Rama in Jainism

Urmila is referred to as Prithvisundari in Jain Ramayana. According to Jain storytelling, Lakshmana had around sixteen thousand wives in which Prithvisundari was his principle consort (in the Hindu epic, he had only one wife Urmila).[31][32]

Mahaviracharita

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The Sanskrit play Mahaviracharita by Bhavabhuti is based on the early life of Rama. According to the play, Vishwamitra invites Janaka to attend his sacrifice, but he sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila, as his delegates. This is the place, where Laxman and Urmila meet for the first time. By the end of the act, Kushadhvaja and Vishwamitra decide to marry Sita and Urmila to Rama and Lakshamana.[33]

Portrayal and assessment

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Urmila (extreme left to Rama, who is in centre). Sculpture at Ramasamy Temple at Kumbakonam

Urmila has been portrayed as an ideal wife and an ideal mother known for her sacrifice in various texts, stories, illustrations, movies.[34] She is also portrayed as a devoted and patient wife who waits faithfully for her husband. She is often considered gentle, kind, compassionate and is known for her beauty and grace.[35][36] The Balakanda chapter of the Ramayana, describe her as "illustrious".[37]

मानस-मन्दिर में सती, पति की प्रतिमा थाप, जलती-सी उस विरह में, बनी आरती आप।

"Urmila has the image of her husband in her heart but she is distraught with the separation and is burning in it like the flame of an aarti."

– Maithili Sharan Gupt talks about Urmila's pain in his poem Saket.[38]

Urmila was known for her sincerity towards her husband and her family, but at the same time she stood with what was right.[39] She was the only one who fights for justice for her sister when Sita was banished from Ayodhya. In the Ramayana, Urmila displays patience and fortitude throughout.[40] Her sister, Sita always considered Urmila's sacrifice to be much bigger than that of her.[41]

Temples and worship

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Urmila alongside her husband, Lakshmana is worshipped across the country.

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Urmila's story and her sacrifice have inspired "painting, film, novels, poems, TV serials and plays". Prominently, she is depicted in all the adaptations of Ramayana.[47]

Films

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The following people portrayed Urmila in the film adaptation of Ramayana.

Television

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The following people portrayed Urmila in the television adaptation of Ramayana.

Plays

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The following plays portrayed Urmila's suffering in the theatre adaptation of Ramayana.

  • Urmila played a prominent role in the 1955 play, Bhoomikanya Sita, written by Bhargavaram Viththal Varerkar.[56]
  • Meedhu Mrityam portrayed her in Nimmy Raphel's 2023 play titled Urmila, that showcase her struggle with the emotional violence, post her husband's departure to exile.[57]
  • Her suffering was also portrayed in the "Laxman-Urmila episode" of the 2023 play, Prem Ramayan.[58]

Books

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The following novels talks about Urmila's life.

  • Sita's Sister by Kavita Kané, published in 2014.
  • Urmila by Pervin Saket, published in 2016.[59]
  • The Princess Who Slept For 14 Years by Tulika Singh, published in 2018.
  • VISION and RE-VISION - Revisiting Mythologies, Rethinking Women by Beena. G.[41]
  • Urmila: The Forgotten Princess by Smriti Dewan, published in 2021.
  • Princesses Recall: Stories of Grit and Sacrifice of Shanta, Ruma, Shrutakeerti and Urmila by Deepa Hariharan, published in 2021.
  • LakshmiLa : The Eternal Love Story by Shubhi Agarwal, published in 2022.

Others

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  • Rabindranath Tagore, included Urmila in his article Upekshita, where he wrote about women who were ignored/overlooked.[56]
  • Hindi poet Maithili Sharan Gupt wrote about Urmila's plight after her husband leave for exile, in his 1931 famous poem Saket, that centres upon her life.[60]
  • Hindi poet Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen praised Urmila, in his 1957 poem Urmila, that centres upon her life and sacrifice.[61]
  • In 2006, a song titled Urmila Devi Nidra, was published, that talks about her sleeping for fourteen year and also centres upon how Lakshmana is reunited with Urmila.[62]

References

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  1. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (24 June 2012). "Urmila, Urmilā, Ūrmilā: 9 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  2. ^ Agarwal, Shubhi (20 April 2022). LakshmiLa : The Eternal Love Story. Om Books International. ISBN 978-93-92834-21-9.
  3. ^ Moor, Edward (1810). The Hindu Pantheon. J. Johnson. p. 316.
  4. ^ "Ramayana | Summary, Characters, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  5. ^ Mishra, V. (1979). Cultural Heritage of Mithila. Allahabad: Mithila Prakasana. p. 13. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  6. ^ Garga Saṁhita. Rasbihari Lal & Sons. 2006. ISBN 978-81-87812-98-2.
  7. ^ Raj, Selva J.; Dempsey, Corinne G. (12 January 2010). Sacred Play: Ritual Levity and Humor in South Asian Religions. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-1-4384-2981-6.
  8. ^ Dictionary of Hindu Lord and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola
  9. ^ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (2006). Political History of Ancient India. Cosmo Publications. ISBN 81-307-0291-6.
  10. ^ "Sita's Sisters: Conversations On Sisterhood Between Women Of Ramayana". Outlook India. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  11. ^ Praśānta Guptā (1998). Vālmīkī Rāmāyaṇa. Dreamland Publications. p. 32. ISBN 9788173012549.
  12. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (29 June 2012). "Lakshmana, Lakṣmaṇa, Lakṣmaṇā: 34 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  13. ^ Debroy, Bibek (2005). The History of Puranas. Bharatiya Kala Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8090-062-4.
  14. ^ Bhalla, Prem P. (1 January 2009). The Story Of Sri Ram. Peacock Books. ISBN 978-81-248-0191-8.
  15. ^ Valmiki. The Ramayana. pp. 126–145.
  16. ^ Swami Parmeshwaranand (1 January 2001). Encyclopaedic Dictionaries of Puranas. Sarup & Sons. pp. 1210–1220. ISBN 978-81-7625-226-3. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  17. ^ "Book 1 (Bala-kanda): Chapter 72 - The marriage of the four sons of King Dasaratha". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  18. ^ Dawar, Sonalini Chaudhry (2006). Ramayana, the Sacred Epic of Gods and Demons. Om Books International. ISBN 9788187107675.
  19. ^ Smriti Dewan (2021). Urmila: The Forgotten Princess. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9789390252916.
  20. ^ Lakshman's wife goes to sleep Archived 19 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine - Devlok
  21. ^ Kavita Kané (2014). Sita's Sister. Rupa Publications India Pvt. Limited. ISBN 9788129134844.
  22. ^ Reeja Radhakrishnan (28 March 2014). "Urmila, The Sleeping Princess". Indian Express. Chennai. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2016.
  23. ^ "Ramayana: Check 13 lesser-known facts". Jagranjosh.com. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  24. ^ Tulika Singh (2018). The Princess Who Slept For 14 Years. Notion Press. p. 20. ISBN 9781948372176.
  25. ^ "Chapter 9: 171. Rama Becomes King". Press Book. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Ram7 115 - AncientVoice".
  27. ^ "The Ramayana: Conclusion". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  28. ^ "Uttara Kanda of Ramayana was edited during 5th century BCE - Puranas". BooksFact - Ancient Knowledge & Wisdom. 26 April 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  29. ^ MacFie, J. M. (1 May 2004). The Ramayan Of Tulsidas Or The Bible Of Northern India. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4179-1498-2.
  30. ^ Richman, Paula (1 January 2001). Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-22074-4.
  31. ^ Dundas, Paul (2002) [1992]. The Jains (Second ed.). London and New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-26605-5.
  32. ^ Iyengar, Kodaganallur Ramaswami Srinivasa (2005). Asian Variations In Ramayana. Sahitya Akademi. ISBN 978-81-260-1809-3.
  33. ^ Mirashi, V. V. (1996). "The Mahavira-charita". Bhavabhūti. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 81-208-1180-1.
  34. ^ "Urmila: The Goddess of sacrifice in the Hindu epic Ramayana". News Nation. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  35. ^ "Sleeping beauty: The unsung sacrifice of Urmila". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  36. ^ Deepa Hariharan (2021). Princesses Recall - Stories of Grit and Sacrifice of Shanta, Ruma, Shrutakeerti and Urmila Based on the Indian Epic Ramayana. Independently Published. ISBN 9798528594781.
  37. ^ "Book 1 (Bala-kanda): Chapter 77 - King Dasaratha returns to Ayodhya". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  38. ^ "The anguish of Lakshmanpriya Urmila in Maithilisharan Gupt's 'Saket'". Amar Ujala. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  39. ^ "Urmila's feminist stand against patriarchy in Sita's sister". International Journal of Advanced Research. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Urmila: Existential Dilemma and Feminist Concerns". Sahitya Akademi - Jstor. JSTOR 23345768. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  41. ^ a b G, Beena (15 July 2019). "Urmila: Quest for an intellectual identity". VISION and RE-VISION - Revisiting Mythologies, Rethinking Women. Notion Press. ISBN 9781645873426.
  42. ^ "Temple Profile: Mandir Shri Laxman Ji". Government of Rajasthan. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  43. ^ "The place where not Ram and Sita, but Lakshman and Urmila are worshipped". News18 India. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  44. ^ "Sri Kalyana Ramachandra Swamy temple: Small wonder on a hillock". Deccan Chronicle. 3 December 2017.
  45. ^ "This unique Rama temple near Hyderabad where Hanuman finds no place". The News Minute. 17 April 2016.
  46. ^ Rao, A.V. Shankara Narayana (2012). Temples of Tamil Nadu. Vasan Publications. pp. 71–4. ISBN 9788184681123.
  47. ^ Mankekar, Purnima (1999). Screening Culture, Viewing Politics: An Ethnography of Television, Womanhood, and Nation in Postcolonial India. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-0-8223-2390-7.
  48. ^ "Ramayanam Reviews". Archived from the original on 13 February 1998.
  49. ^ "Lav Kush (1997)". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  50. ^ Nagpaul D'souza, Dipti (17 September 2010). "Epic Effort". Indian Express. The Indian Express Limited. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
  51. ^ Dalrymple, William (23 August 2008). "All Indian life is here". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  52. ^ Bhattacharyya, Anushree (27 August 2013). "An epic battle". The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  53. ^ "Karan Suchak and Yukti Kapoor: Siya Ke Ram's Laxman and Urmila are a match made in heaven". The Asian Age. 13 March 2016.
  54. ^ "Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush". PINKVILLA. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  55. ^ "Vaidehi Nair to play pivotal role of Urmila in Siddharth Kumar Tewary's Srimad Ramayan". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  56. ^ a b Shanta Gokhale. "What about Urmila?". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  57. ^ "Urmila wakes the audience up to the travails of Lakshmana's wife". The Hindu. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  58. ^ "Darpan theatre festival: Tales of epic love, sacrifice draw applause". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  59. ^ Saket, Pervin (5 January 2016). Urmila. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 9788184956665.
  60. ^ "Saket - Maithali Sharan Gupt". Kavita Kosh. Archived from the original on 26 April 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  61. ^ "Urmila - Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen". Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  62. ^ The song of Urmila’s separation: Andhra women’s song spotlights Ramayana’s neglected character Manushi Retrieved 27 December 2022

Further reading

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