sItA [ si-ta pfzo° dIrGaH ] 1 A furrow, track or line of a ploughshare. 2 (Hence) A tilled or furrowed ground, ploughed land; vfzeva sItAM tadavagrahakzatAM Ku. 5. 61. 3 Husbandry, agriculture; as in sItAdravya q. v. 4 N. of the daughter of Janaka, king of Mithilā, and wife of Rāma. [She was so called because she was supposed to have sprung from a furrow made by king Janaka while ploughing the ground to prepare it for a sacrifice which he had instituted to obtain progeny, and hence also her epithets, ‘Ayonijā’, ‘Dharāputrī’ &c. She was married to Rāma and accompanied him to the forest. While there she was once carried off by Rāvaṇa who tried to violate her chastity, but she scornfully rejected his suit. When Rāma came to know that she was in Laṅkā, he attacked the place, killed Rāvaṇa and his host of demons, and recovered Sītā. She had, however, to pass through the terrible ordeal of fire before she could be received by her husband as his wife. Though thus convinced of her chastity, he had afterwards to abandon her, when far advanced in pregnancy, because the people continued to suspect her fidelity. She, however, found a protector, in the sage Vālmīki, at whose hermitage she was delivered of Kuśa and Lava, and who brought them up. She was ultimately restored to Rāma by the sage.]. 5 N. of a goddess, wife of Indra. 6 N. of Umā. 7 N. of Lakṣmī. 8 N. of one of the fabulous branches of the Ganges. 9 Spirituous liquor. Comp. — dravyaM implements of agriculture, tools of husbandry; Ms. 9. 293. — patiH N. of Rāmachandra. — PalaH the custard-apple tree. — (laM) its fruit.