Is Rama Younger than Sita?

Is Rama Younger than Sita?
Image: wikimediacommons.com

Hindu religion is full of mythological stories and all the stories have more than one version. This often creates confusion for people and hence it is a well loved topic of debate. One such question which has intrigued generations is from the ancient Indian epic poem Ramayana. The question which has confused many people is if Rama is younger than Sita. The answer is no, Rama is in fact older than Sita, 9 years older in fact. Keep reading this oneHOWTO article to know more about Rama and Sita's age difference.

Permissible Marriage age according to Hindu scriptures

Globally it is an accepted fact that in a marriage the man should be older than the woman. History tells us that at least 7-8 decades earlier woman’s age used to be far less than her husband. Sometimes the age gap would be 15 years or more. But whatever the age gap may be, it was a universal rule that women must be younger than the man.

There are many ancient Indian texts that state the age gap for marriage.

  • According to Gautama Dharmashastra 6.1 :

A householder shall take a wife of equal caste, who has not belonged to another man and is younger than himself.

  • According to Yajnavalkya Smriti, Yajñavalkya said:

1 – 3. O sages, listen to the various duties of the house- holder. After giving fees to the preceptor and taking the ritualistic bath with his permission and concluding his student stage he shall marry a girl endowed with good characteristics. She shall be a virgin, younger in age, not sickly, having brothers, not of the same rishi, lineage or Gotra, beyond the fifth remove on the mother's side, and the seventh remove on the father's and hence asapinda (unrelated).

  • The exact age gap for marriage is stated in Manu Smriti 9.94 which states:

A man, aged thirty years, shall marry a maiden of twelve who pleases him, or a man of twenty four, a girl eight years of age. If his duties be impeded, he may marry sooner.

Is Rama younger than Sita?

The answer to this question is clearly stated in Valmiki Ramayana in Aranya Kanda 47 Sarga 11 Shloka

When Ravana came to Sita’s cottage in forest during Ram and Sita’s vanvas i.e. exile, Sita said:

"My great-resplendent husband was of twenty-five years of age at that time, and to me eighteen years are reckoned up from my birth.”

This sentence clearly states that at that time Ram was 25 years of age and Sita was of 18 years of age at that time. Hence, Rama is older than Sita.

Image: gauralila.com

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