Introduction
Urmila is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and his queen, the younger sister of Sita, and the wife of Lakshmana. She stayed in Ayodhya for the fourteen years that her husband was in the forest.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Janaka
- Mother: Sunayana
- Husband: Lakshmana
- Siblings: Sita
- Sons: Angada (son of Lakshmana), Chandraketu
Marriage
Urmila was married to Lakshmana at the same ceremony in Mithila where Sita married Rama. Her cousins Mandavi and Shrutakirti married Bharata and Shatrughna.
The years of separation
When Lakshmana left with Rama and Sita, Urmila remained in the palace. Valmiki says very little about her during this time, and many readers regard her as one of the epic's quiet, overlooked figures.
According to the Uttara Kanda, she and Lakshmana had two sons, Angada and Chandraketu.
A later story
A popular story from later regional traditions says that Urmila slept for fourteen years so that Lakshmana could stay awake to guard Rama and Sita. This story is not in Valmiki.