Agni

The supreme witness himself bore testimony to her innocence: "She is sinless. She has not betrayed you by thought, word or wayward glance. She was not touched. Accept her, I order you to. Let there be no more argument."

— "The Ramayana," retold by Lakshmi Lal

Agni, the Vedic god of fire in Hinduism, plays a critical role in the Ramayana. When Rama finally defeats the rakshasa Ravana, Sita is finally free to be with her husband. However, the hero takes a surprising attitude towards his wife. Instead of being delighted to have Sita back, Rama questions her virtue. Ravana was known for his lechery, and Rama was not interested in having a wife who was, by his standards, not pure.

Sita is understanding of Rama's concerns, and out of devotion to her husband, she steps into a blazing fire to show her husband that she has been completely loyal to him. Unsurprisingly, Sita passes the fire test, known as Agniparikshā. Agni carries Sita out of the flames to show Rama how pure she is.

Upon seeing this, Rama takes Sita back. He claims that he always believed in his wife's loyalty; rather, Agniparikshā served to reassure all of the citizens of Kosala that their queen was honorable. Remarkably, though, Agni's testimony did not prove sufficient to the gossipmongers, and Sita was eventually banished after Rama became king.