Regarding Sita's Agnipariksha, I would like to clear up some misunderstandings many people seem to have in this forum. First of all, there are many different versions surrounding the Agni pariksha, but I will describe what happened in the two most popular and well-read versions, Valmiki Ramayan and Tulsidas Ramayan, which is what most serials and movies follow.
Valmiki Ramayan
Here, Sita's "Agnipariksha" was not a pariksha at all but a pravesha. After Ravan was killed, Ram ordered Vibhishan to bring Sita to him from the Ashok Vatika, and when Sita appeared before him, Ram gave a long discourse on why he killed Ravan. He listed may reasons behind Ravan vadh, but he did not say rescuing Sita was one of them. He told Sita that he has freed her from Ravan's clutches and she was free to go where she pleased. Although Ram spoke harshly to Sita, he did it not because he had any real doubt in Sita, but because he wanted everyone present to personally witness her greatness. Ram did not need any proof of her chastity. Although they were apart in body, they were always together in soul and Ram's victory over Ravan was in itself a proof of her virtue. But society in those days was harsh and unfair, and Ram did not want anybody to point fingers at his wife and doubt her character, so he spoke harshly to spur Sita to defend herself, thereby letting everyone witness her greatness and strength.
After hearing Ram's words, Sita defends herself and states that if he has any doubt in her, retaining her body would be of no use. She decides to jump into fire, not to prove her chastity, but because she wants to end her life then and there. She orders Lakshman to create fire for her, and then jumps into it, but due to the power of her chastity the fire does not harm her and Agni Dev appears before Ram to give the proof of Sita's chastity to all present.
Anand Sagar's Ramayan in 2008 showed Valmiki's version of the Agni pravesha, including some of the dialogues which are straight from Valmiki. They did a really great job with this scene, and I strongly encourage anyone wanting to learn this version of the agni pariksha to see this video:
Ramcharitmanas
In this Ramayan, Sita's Agnipariksha was all a drama to hide the truth - that the real Sita Mata was never kidnapped by Ravan.
Here, what happens is that before Ravan kidnaps Sita, Ram and Sita who know that Ravan is about to come, come up with a plan. Ram tells Sita that due to the power of her chastity, no man can touch her without burning his hands and dying on the spot. If Ravan abducted Sita, he would die on the spot and there'd be no chance of waging a war against his kingdom. Remember, Ravan was not the only unrighteous man in his kingdom. His dynasty too had to be killed, and in order for that to happen, Sita had to be kidnapped.
So Ram invokes Agni Dev and sends the real Sita to stay with Agni Dev (who is her brother in relation, due to being the son of Bhudevi), while creating an illusionary Sita to take her place. The illusionary Sita is abducted by Ravan, and this is a secret that only Ram and Sita know, not even Lakshman.
After Ravan is killed, Ram tells Lakshman to create fire for Sita to go through, and when Lakshman gets angry, Ram reveals the truth and states he does not want to test Sita, but he wants to get his real wife back. So when the illusionary Sita is brought in front of him, Ram pretends to doubt her chastity and orders her to walk through fire to prove herself, but in the process, the illusionary Sita disappears and Agni Dev returns the real Sita to Ram. To the whole world it looked as if Ram was testing Sita, but in reality he was simply getting his wife back.
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan in 1986 followed this version of the Agni Pariksha. If interested, you can watch it here.
Edited by ..RamKiJanaki.. - 8 years ago
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