According to Hindu tradition, Lord Rama and Goddess Sita were married on the fifth day (Panchami) of the bright fortnight of the month of Margashirsha. This day is celebrated as Vivah Panchami. Sita deeply loved Lord Rama and used a special name to address Him.
Goddess Sita lovingly called Lord Rama “Karunanidhan”, meaning the treasure-house of compassion.
As described in Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas, Rama and Sita met for the first time before their marriage in the flower garden (Pushp Vatika) of Janakpur, which is located in present-day Nepal. Rama had gone there on the instruction of sage Vishwamitra to collect flowers for worship, and Sita happened to be in the garden at the same time. The moment they saw each other, they were drawn to one another, and Sita accepted Rama in her heart as her future husband.
Tulsidas writes that Parvati, understanding Sita’s anxiety, comforted her by revealing that Rama was no ordinary man but the Supreme Being Himself—compassionate & virtuous. Parvati assured Sita that Rama would indeed become her husband. She described Him as “Karunanidhan”, the embodiment of compassion.
Taking Parvati’s words to heart, Sita decided that from that moment on, she would address Rama by that name. And so, she lovingly called Him Karunanidhan.
A famous episode further highlights this. When Hanuman was preparing to go to Lanka to search for Sita, Rama gave him His ring to present to her as proof of His identity. Hanuman wondered what to do if Sita still did not believe him. Rama then revealed, “Sita calls Me Karunanidhan—and only she knows this. Tell her that Karunanidhan has sent this ring. She will immediately recognize you as My messenger.”
