Did Lord Rama really order Goddess Sita to go through Agni Pariksha?
Goddess Sita and the Agni Pariksha! Many people in the modern world criticize Lord Rama for asking his consort Sita to give proof of her purity and sanctity via Agni Pariksha. Agni Pariksha literally means an examination in which one's purity is tested by asking him/her to pass through fire. If the person comes out unburnt she/he passes the test. In case people think that Lord Rama asked Goddess Sita for Agni pariksha in order to test her purity and santity, then they are WRONG! Actually during the time of Vanvas (14 year stay of Lord Rama in Jungles), once on a fine day in the evening Lakshman (devout brother of Lord Rama) had went out to collect wood and fruits for dinner, it was then when Lord Rama told Goddess Sita about the dangers and the enemies he was going to encounter in the near future and hence ordered Agni Dev (the god of fire) to protect Goddess Sita and a in turn a Pratibimba ( reflection ) of the Goddess came out which accompanied Lord Rama for the fu...