Doing Agnipareeksha is not my helplessness-Sita

Sita's agnipareeksha is misintreprated as a woman's desperate need to prove her purity to the world. No it is not. It is not her desperate need. But it is her way of giving slap to that society who is questioning her purity. The patriarchal society that treats woman a secondary citizen and thinks a man is always needed to protect her. Like the saying in Manusmriti goes " Pitro Rakshiti Kaumare, Bharthyo rakshati youvane, Putro rakshati vardakye, na stree swantharam arhati". 

AP is Sita's way of telling the follower's of Manu get lost. She proves in Lanka she was alone. Alone for 11 months. And in those 11 months she protected her honor, pride and purity without a man's help. 

If she wanted she could have liberated herself, but as a wife she wanted her husband to liberate her. By sitting there and waiting for him she was not being an abla nari, but just doing the duty of the wife. 

A woman who uses her freedom the correct way can safeguard herself. She only accepts one bandhan and that is the bandhan of love. Sita wouldnt have given AP if not for Ram's dilemma. She understood the dilemma of the man who loved her with body, mind and soul and for that bandhan she takes AP to solve his dilemma so that he is not attacked by the followers of Manu. 

Unfortunately whatever Sita did to solve Ram's dilemma, over centuries has been hijacked by the followers of those lines of Manu to bring even Ram in their league and push innocent women to give AP. 

Putting the blame of rape on victim, putting every problem on women's head, not taking accountability for anything and everything these men use Ram. Incidently the 7th avatar of Vishnu and who is called Maryada purushottam. 

And these ignorant blind worshippers have given hay day for those forces who loves to ridicule Santhana Dharma at the drop of a hat, telling we have the most regressive practices. 

If we understand Ram and Krishna we will know how liberal Sanathana Dharma is. How it has propogated co existence of Sanskriti and Prakriti which no other religion can ever boast of. No other religion has a lady like Sita who gives a sweet slap on the patriarchal society. 

It had both direct and indirect meaning. In one stroke Sita does her sthree dharma and patni dharma.

I dont think it was Sita's AP. In fact it was other's AP. 

When she entered the Agni, others coudnt touch her, think -ve about her or even stop her. Agni become her shield, which others couldnt break. 

She showed her strength by entering in Agni, indirectly conveying others, if you doubt me just dare to touch this Agni, it'll burn you, your doubts. 

This Agni was visible to others as it was in physical form. What about the flames of her purity, penance, that was not visible, which she always had around her.

Those who dared to touch her, were punished in some or other way. 

Fire was always her shield, be it physical one or in form of power of her strength, penance. 

Bang on points shruthi. 

 

Meena yes Sita always had the shield around her. Her dharma. Her love which gave her the protection.

As Jai pointed out, its agni pravesha. But for this AP also what Sita said fits the spot.

Born from earth, Sita traversed the life with the association of pancha bhootas. She was kidnapped via akash by Ravan, searched by Vayu putra hanuman, Ram crossed the ocean (water) and killed Ravan and rescued her, she voluntarily did agni pravesh which seems to be the test for her purity to others (even after this, ayodhya people had doubt). Thus the woman who got the support from panch bhootas at various time ended her travel connecting to her start. 

I can't stop comparing Sita with draupadi. Panchali also had the support of panch bhootas to complete her task. Here Sita accompanied Ram in the mission of killing the demon Ravan while in MB Draupadi accompanied Krishna to establish the dharma. In short, women are not helpless who needed someone for support but they are the ones who seemed to be the cause for the action. 

@Meena: I liked your view.