Character
Urmila: FAQ & Sources
ऊर्मिलाWife of Lakshmana; sister of Sita. Also called Daughter of Janaka | The one who slept fourteen years.
Urmila, daughter of Janaka and wife of Lakshmana, is remembered for Urmila's Sleep — bearing fourteen years of sleep for both herself and her husband so that he could stay awake serving Rama in exile. The Ramayana's unsung sacrifice.
RoleWife of Lakshmana; sister of Sita
AllegianceMithila (by birth); Ayodhya (by marriage)
Appears inRamayana
Frequently asked questions
Who was Urmila?
The daughter of Janaka, younger sister of Sita, and wife of Lakshmana in the Ramayana.
What is Urmila's Sleep?
The tradition that Urmila slept for fourteen years, bearing her husband Lakshmana's share of sleep so he could stay awake guarding Rama and Sita in exile.
Why is Urmila called the unsung sacrifice?
Because she gave up fourteen years of married life alone and without complaint, a sacrifice less celebrated than Sita's trials.
Who wrote a famous poem about Urmila?
Maithili Sharan Gupt, whose Hindi epic 'Saket' centres on Urmila's grief.
Whose sister was Urmila?
Sita's — both were daughters of King Janaka of Mithila.
Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana; later tradition and folklore
- Maithili Sharan Gupt, Saket
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