If Goddess Sita is the daughter of Bhumi Devi, then how can we say Lord Ram is an Incarnation of Lord Vishnu?

Question

Lord Vishnu has 2 wives: one is Shree Mahalakshmi and the other is Bhumi Devi, as mentioned in the following shlok which many people say in the morning:

॥ विष्णुपत्नि नमस्तुभ्यं पादस्पर्शं क्षमस्वमे ॥
meaning
"|| O consort of Lord Vishnu, forgive me for stepping on you ||"

Here it is explained that Lord Vishnu has two wives, Sri Devi (श्री देवी) and BhooDevi (Earth Goddess)

If Goddess Sita is the daughter of Bhumi Devi then how can we say Lord Ram is Incarnation of Lord Vishnu?

If it is true, then in the form of Lord Vishnu, Bhumi Devi is his wife, and in the form of Lord Ram, Bhumi Devi is his mother in law.

Could somebody please explain this?

Answer 1

Narayan is mainly associated with shri shakti, bhu shakti and lila shakti. But shri Ram has

At first let me quote Valmiki Ramayan

सुर्यस्यापि भवत् सुर्यो ह्यग्नेरग्नि प्रभोः प्रभुः। श्रियः श्रीश्चभवेद्ग्य्रा कीर्त्या कीर्तिः क्षमाक्षमा।।

Shri Ram is sun of sun, Agni of Agni, Prabhu of Prabhu (narayan of narayan), maa Sita is laxmi of laxmi, kirti of kirti and kshama of kshama.

Again in skandpuran 3.1.46.54

आत्मविद्यां त्रयीरुपाम् उमारुपाम् नमाम्यहम्। प्रसादभिमुखीं लक्ष्मी क्षीरब्धितनया शुभाम्।।

I bow down to Maa Sita with great favour, who is in the form of spiritual knowledge in three Vedas ( maa saraswati) , who is in the form of maa uma, who is in the form of maa laxmi the daughter of ocean of milk.

And in hanumat samhita

ब्रह्माविष्णुमहेशाद्या यस्य अंशा लोक साधकाः। तं रामं सच्चिदानन्द नित्यं रास ईश्वरं भजे।।

~ I adore that Ramchandra always, Who is a form of sat-chit-Anans, Expert in Raas leela and Whose portions are Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesvara.

(Hanumat sanhita)

Answer 2

bhU of viShNu/varAha refers to bhU-loka of which earth (pruthvI) is a part.

sItA is referred as daughter of earth i.e. pruthvI to be precise. Some of the stories associated with earth (pruthvI) are pruthvI getting chased by prithu, parashurama granting earth to kashyap, etc.

Earth (pruthvI) is different persona from bhU (bhU-loka) as evident from this chapter of vAlmiki rAmAyaNa :

अवने नैकरूपा त्वं बहुभार्या भविष्यसि || १-३६-२३ न च पुत्रकृतां प्रीतिं मत्क्रोधकलुषीकृता | प्राप्स्यसि त्वं सुदुर्मेधे मम पुत्रमनिच्छती || १-३६-२४

" 'Oh, Earth, your appearance shall be bizarre and you will be a wife to many. And oh, verily base-minded earth, rendered sully by my anger you shall have no gratification caused by the children as you are bigoted against my son. [1-36-23b, 24]